A Furry Love Story
by efl614
Summary: I never wanted this. I didn't want any of it. I just wanted to be a normal, typical, boring, even, teenager. I don't think those three things include a full moon, fur, and magic. Full Summary Inside. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't usually write/like Remus/O.C. stories, but this one popped into my head in the middle of class yesterday, and I thought I'd write a story about it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Harry Potter. Sigh.**

Summary: I'm walking through a vast flower field, barefoot. It's the dead of night. Suddenly, a cry is torn from my lips, and a clap of thunder booms overhead. A storm cloud shifts, and the light of the full moon reflects over everything around me. My young, beautiful face suddenly turns dark, and I know it looks as though I've aged thirty years. My painful transformation begins.

1977

I skipped happily up my driveway after school. It was a beautiful spring day and there wasa light breeze that tickled my face. I knew it was considered "childish" to still skip around at sixteen, but I couldn't help myself. I was in a wonderful mood.

"Mummy! I'm home," I called out, dropping my bag by the doorway, and moving through the living room to the kitchen. I got to the kitchen and found my mother chopping carrots for a soup that we were having for dinner. My stomach grumbled. I snatched a carrot, and my mother lightly scolded me, but she had a smile on her face.

"Juliet, do behave yourself. How was school?"

"Boring as ever," I replied, now rifling through the fridge. What? I'm a growing girl!

"Mr. Evans gave us a pop quiz _again,_ and I aced it _again._ Miss Smith gave me a paper back that I worked _really_ hard on, and she gave a B! Can you imagine it? A B!!"

Mum smiled at my indignance, and she said, "Don't worry, Hun, there's always next time. I'm sure if you try extra hard next time, you'll be just fine."

Finishing my carrot, I went upstairs to my room. Now, I know what you're thinking. That I sound all snobby-like, what with being all angry over a B, and bragging about acing a test. But, to tell you the truth, I'm nothing like that. I just do that to please my parents. I have to keep my grades up or there'll be hell to pay. I plopped down to my bed, and flipped through a magazine I had picked up from the drugstore a few days ago. Then, I heard angry voices coming from downstairs. My father must have arrived without me hearing him, and he was upset about something.

Quietly, I crept out of my room, and stood on the stairs, pressed against the wall, straining to hear. "You don't understand, Ingrid! They'll kill us, every one! Think of your family! Think of Juliet!"

"I am," my mother said quietly. "Do you really think that I would suggest otherwise unless thinking of Juliet? Do you really believe that?"

I could tell my mother was close to tears, and I wondered what could have her so riled up.

"I knew this day was coming," came my father's muffled voice, probably buried in my mother's tight hugs. I don't know if you knew this, but Mum's hugs make everyone feel better, no matter what's wrong.

**Like it? Hate it? Review and tell me how you feel! I didn't think this was going to be very big, but tons of ideas just started flowing after the first couple of chapters. :) I'll be posting the next chapter soon, probably tonight. **


	2. Chapter 2

I decided it was time to reveal myself, and I marched loudly down the stairs to give my parents some warning before I barged into the kitchen.

"Hello, Daddy," I say cheerfully, a huge smile plastered on my face. The smile faltered as I "noticed" the distress on my parents' faces. "Anything wrong?"

"Yes, dear, there is, actually. Mummy and I have a _bit_ of a problem." My father replied. I glanced in my mother's direction as she scoffed at the word "bit."

"Juliet, do you remember your eleventh birthday party?" Mum asked, randomly it seemed, to me.

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you remember _everything_?"

1972

It was May twelfth, and I was bouncing all around the house in my anticipation for the party. Mummy gave a beautiful tinkling kind of laugh as I asked, for maybe the thousandth time, when the party started. At least, that's how I remember thinking her laugh sounded at the time.

"You know full well when the party starts, Juliet. You will be able to open those presents on the table at 3:30 sharp." She winks as I start to protest that I hadn't even _noticed_ the exact nine presents on the table. Daddy walks in, and I jump into his arms. I smother his face with kisses, trying the "Daddy's Little Girl" trick.

"Oh, Daddy, don't you think it would be alright if I opened just_ one_ present? Pleasssseeeee, pretty pleasssseeee?" I put on my best Puppy Dog Face. He laughs, and looks over at my mother.

"Well, Ingrid? Can she?" My mother sighed.

"Oh, alright. But just one; the rest are for the party for your family to see you open."

I pick one out and just as I start to open it, I hear this strange screeching noise. I leave the present, completely forgotten, and go to stand by the window. An owl, in broad daylight! How extraordinary, I remember thinking. I also remember thinking how odd it was, the looks of worry on my parents faces at the sight of the owl.

All of a sudden, the owl is by my side. "Why, hello, there, pretty bird, what are you doing here?" I murmur. Strange, how I immediate I took in stride the fact that there was a wild bird by my side. I reached out to pet it, but my father snarled, "Don't touch it!"

Startled, I drew away. I noticed to my humiliation and shame that there was a little bit of wetness in my eyes from my father's uncharacteristically harsh voice. I looked away, so as to hide my tears. My mother laid a hand on my father's arm.

"Remember, George. She's just a child, and she has no idea what this means." Daddy nodded.

He turned to me and picked me up. "I'm sorry, ma chéri, will you ever forgive me?" I gave a slight smile at the little phrase, and replied cheekily, "I suppose…" Daddy looked relieved.

"…I'll think about it!" I finished.

"Ah, how will I ever go on, without ma chéri's forgiveness?!" He pretended to be mortally wounded, and clutched at his heart. I giggled at his actions, and completely forgot about the owl. Don't look at me that way, eleven year olds have short attention spans!

The rest of the day went by without little interruption, and I pushed the owl-scene to the back of my mind.

1977

"Yes, I do remember everything. Thank you for questioning my intelligence!" I cracked a smile at my amazing humor, and looked from both my parents faces, waiting for them to smile as well. The smiles never came. However, I must say that I hid my disappointment well, in my opinion.

"Do you remember that owl, though?" I ask. "That was really weird, don't you think? I mean, how often does that happen? And where did it go? I forget that part." I said the last part quickly, hoping they wouldn't notice the fact that I admitted to not remembering everything.

"That is the exact thing we need to talk to you about." Mum said, glancing at my Dad. Oh, God. They have the same look on their faces as they did when trying to figure out how to begin "The Talk." I hope this conversation won't be as awkward.

"Okay, I don't want to beat around the bush, so here goes." My father heaved a huge sigh. Uh,oh. "Juliet, I'm a wizard and that owl on your eleventh birthday? That was for you, accepting you to one of the most prestigious witchcraft and wizardry schools there are." As Daddy said this, he glanced at me to check my facial expressions. I kept it blank. I may not look like it, but I'm _very_ good at hiding my emotions.

"Prove it." I said simply. I regretted it a little, because I could tell Mum looked a little hurt that that was my only response. She's the very emotional type, talking out your feelings and such. However, I didn't get that trait from her. My father wasn't very emotional, but he didn't hide his emotions, so I figured it must be a trait from a couple generations ago.

Daddy reached behind him onto the counter, and grabbed something. It appeared to be a wooden stick. I wondered if he was really serious, as he waved it. I arranged my face to looking skeptical, until I saw blue and yellow ribbons fly out of his stick that I assumed was his wand. I let the emotions flow. A huge smile brightened up my face, and I threw my arms around my father's waist. Then I pulled my mother into the hug, and we stood there for what seemed like an eternity.

"Wait," I said, as I realized something. "Why didn't you let me go?" Suddenly, I was very angry that I lost my chance at something, well, _magical_. I was also jealous that other kids got to go to this magical school and have the opportunities that I had been deprived of.

"That's another thing, Hun," Mum said. "Don't get mad yet. I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but we did choose not to send you to Hogwarts for a reason." She paused.

There's a thing about me that you should know. I have absolutely, positively _no_ patience. I wanted the full story, and now. "Yes?" I said pointedly, making it obvious that I wanted her to continue.

"Well, you see, there have always been little fights between wizards. There are the good guys and the bad guys." My father took over. "However, there is a war beginning, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Sure, I graduated top of my class at Hogwarts, sure I was going to be a fantastic Charms professor, not that I'm bragging or anything, and sure, I had plenty of admirers. However, there is this man, an evil man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, who is gaining power at this very moment."

"Yeah, that's not the only thing he's gaining," Mum interjected.

"Yes. He's also gaining followers, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I would be called upon. However, I graduated and was on my way to applying for jobs, when I stopped myself and thought of the inevitable events that were sure to happen. I knew I wanted to settle down and start a family, but did I really want to put any children I had in the middle of a war? And the answer, I told myself, was no, I did not. So I turned my back on magic, well, not completely. As you can tell, I still have my wand. I use it from time to time, but I try to refrain from using it a lot, as it's an easy way of tracking someone. So, anyways, I went to college, and there I met your mother. We fell in love instantly, and we had you about two years later." Mum and Daddy smiled at each other in this lovey-dovey kind of way, and I tried not to gag.

"But why are you telling me this now?"

"Because today, some of Voldemort-"

"Who's Voldemort? Oh, is that the evil guy?"

"Yes. Today, some of Voldemort's followers came knocking. They want me to join him, and I told them that they would have to give me time to think about it."

"'Think about it'?" I echoed. "Surely you're not even contemplating it! They sound like horrid people! If you were going to go with anyone, of course you'd go with the good guys!" I said in outrage.

"I only said that to buy time!" Dad said in a distressed tone. "You don't understand. If you don't do what they say, they'll most likely kill you and your family."

I let these words sink in, and, after a moment, I simply said, "I need to think." And with that, I proceeded to walk down the hall, up the stairs, down another hall, and into my room. I closed the door and leaned against it with my eyes shut, trying to take it all in. Then I threw myself onto my bed and thought and thought, until thoughts merged with dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on, Hun! Time to get up! You've been asleep for who knows how long!" Mum's cheery voice woke me up, and I wondered if the previous day had all been a crazy dream.

"Mummy," I groaned, as I stretched lazily in my bed. "What time is it?"

"It's two o'clock! In the afternoon, that is. Come on, get out of bed, you lazy lump, and come have some lunch." Two o' clock! Was it really possible that I had slept for almost a full day?! My stomach grumbled, and I jumped out of bed. I yawned as I walked down the stairs, and my father walked by in a full dress suit.

"Well, look here! I thought I was going to have to come in there soon and dump a nice big bucket of cold water on you!"

I merely grunted, not in the mood to talk. I needed food. Finally, after shoving a meatball sub into my mouth in what must be a world record, I asked, "Daddy, why are you dressed like that? It's Saturday, right?"

Dad chuckled. "Yes, Juliet, very astute of you. Actually, I have a meeting at my office, and I'll be back in about an hour." He gave Mum a quick peck on the cheek, and repeated the process for me.

I decided to go and get ready for the rest of the day. As I was getting dressed, I happened to look out my window, and I saw a group of people standing on my lawn. I rushed to finish getting dressed, and hurried downstairs and outside.

I had to cover my eyes with my hand from the bright sunlight as I walked barefoot over to my father and the group of people. They did not look like the type of people that were just dropping by for some afternoon tea, let's just say.

"Bell, I must tell you that the Dark Lord is not a very patient man. He wants an answer _now._" A man in a long robe-type garment spoke harshly. He called my father by his surname; I wouldn't exactly take that as a good sign.

"Who is that?" Another man with asked, jerking his thumb at me. He had very wolfish features, and to be honest, he scared me quite a bit.

"This is my daughter Juliet. Juliet, why don't you go inside," Daddy said, knowing it was pointless to even say such a thing. I've always been the type to want to be in all the action, and never on the sidelines.

Dad then took a little tiny step in front of me, so small you hardly noticed a difference, but I wasn't having that. I jumped out from behind my father and said with feigned politeness, "And who might you be?"

The men chuckled. "Quite a daughter you got, eh, Bell?" Someone called from the opposite direction that I was facing. The wolfish man stepped towards me, and licked his lips. I gave a slight, hardly noticeable shudder, but the man grinned nonetheless. "Name's Greyback. Fenrir Greyback."

As I started to reply with a polite, "It's nice to meet you," my father cut in. His voice was very stern as he said, "Juliet, go in the house and help your mother with something."

"Okay, Daddy," I replied in a chirpy voice. "But don't be too long, Mummy and I are making cookies and they should be done any second now! I know how much you love a warm cookie!" The men laughed again as I walked into the house, my face bright red from embarrassment.

I walked in and joined Mum by the opened window, listening to the men talking. As I was sitting, Mum flicked me. It hurt. "Ow," I said in a whisper, "what was that for?"

"You could've been killed!"

We then proceeded to argue about whether or not I would've been killed in broad daylight in the middle of a non-magical neighborhood. Therefore, we missed the whole talk, and we jumped up as my father came into the living room and slumped onto the couch. We sat beside him.

"Well? What did they say?" I looked at my Dad's weary face, and he looked much older than the man I knew yesterday morning.

"They said they needed an answer right now, and I told them that if they needed an answer, then the answer was no. I don't know if that was a mistake, or-"

"Of course it wasn't a mistake, Dad! Why are you acting like this! I haven't even known about this magic stuff for a full day, and even I can tell that there's something not right about those people. I mean, just the name "Voldemort" gives me shivers, and you're acting as if you don't know what side to take!"

My father gave me a small, knowing smile. "Of course I know what side I want to choose, Juliet. And, had I no family, I would be in the first line of the battle field when it came to fighting for what I believed in. But, you have to consider our family. If you make one wrong move with these guys, they take out everyone they come in contact with that they think is dear to you."

I pondered his words, and I said slowly, "Yes; yes, I suppose you're right."

"We'll have to go into hiding as soon as possible. But we can't go tonight. I have my affairs that I have to get into order, and we'll have to pack all the necessities," Dad said in a crisp voice.

Daddy left for his office and then it was just Mum and I. We didn't know what to do with ourselves for the rest of the day. We shuffled around the house, up and down the stairs, in and out of rooms, wandering all over the place. Finally, night came, and I crawled into bed, exhausted, despite the amount of sleep I had gotten the night before.

I woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, but I had no recollection of it. I realized I was suddenly dying from thirst. I tiptoed downstairs, careful not to wake anyone up. I walked down a hall towards the living room and when I went through I had a mini-heart attack when I saw a dark form sitting in the armchair. "Daddy?" I asked, my voice shaking a little. "Is that you?"

"Close," a soft voice whispered. I practically jumped out of my skin. I had heard that voice before. "We're friends. Your Daddy and I don't get along, though. Isn't that the saddest thing?"

"You _really_ shouldn't be here. I mean, we could get you for breaking and entering, and you don't want to have to deal with all that dumb paperwork, do you?" My voice was surprisingly steady and clear.

"Oh, don't you worry about me, I can handle myself." The man let out a low growl as he stood and took a step closer. I knew what I had to do. I sucked in deep breath and screamed as loudly as I could, just as Greyback jumped. I saw a bright red flash just as I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. I fell to the ground, and I heard someone screaming. "I have to help them, they're in danger," I thought. It took me a moment to realize that the screams were coming from my own mouth. Soon after I passed out from the pain.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up in a comfortable bed in a hospital room. I knew it was a hospital room because, well, it's not that hard to tell. There's this distinct smell to it, and of course, the machines. But wait, there were no machines. That's odd.

Relief. Worry. Self-disappointment. And that settled it. I'm in the loony bin. I've finally gone over the edge. I have no explanation as to why those feelings just popped into my head. This disturbs me greatly.

I looked over to my right, and my parents are standing over my bed, faces twisted with worry. Their faces also show signs of relief and self-disappointment. What's going on here?!

Hello. Well, that's what I meant to say, but all that came out was, "Miggghmm." They smiled, glad to see that I was awake, and Mum reached out with one hand to feel my forehead, the other holding an orange. The smell of oranges suddenly overwhelmed me, and I promptly threw up and passed out again.

*

Whispers. Well, I think that's what they were aiming for, but God, they really need some practice. It's like they're yelling in my ear!

"Will she be able to survive this?" Mother.

"Oh, yes, of course. She'll just have heightened senses for about two weeks, and then she should go back to her normal self. That is, of course, except for one week every month, when she'll be a little more sensitive to things around her." Nurse, I suppose.

I hear the clicking of the nurse's heels as she walks out of the room, and I want to clamp my hands over my head. My parents continue "whispering."

"George, what will we do? There's no safe place for her to transform around here, and she's not safe at home anymore, anyway. You remember what I said earlier…"

"Yes, Ingrid, I remember." He says crisply. "And I forbid it. She'll be more likely to get hurt at that school than with us."

"She's sixteen."

"I'm quite aware of her age."

"Why don't we ask her," Mum said loudly (ouch). She knew exactly how to get what she wanted form my father. I think I got that trait from her. I opened one eye. They rushed over.

"Oh, love, did we wake you up?" False concern appeared on my mother's face.

Daddy rolled his eyes, and he said, "How are you feeling?"

I cleared my throat and said, "Oh, lovely, just peachy. I feel like running a marathon," I said sarcastically. I didn't mean to be so harsh; I was just testing my new skill. I wanted to see what kind of reaction I could get out of them. Surely, a bit of anger; however, all I felt was deep concern and worry.

"Juliet, we have some bad news. Do you remember what happened at all?"

"Up until the flash of red light, yeah," I said with a nod. I flinched when I remembered the stinging pain in my shoulder.

"Well, the man that attacked you, he, ah-" My mother broke off, unsure of how to continue. I could tell she was close to tears, anyway. Better not set her over the edge. I turned to my father for the answers.

"Juliet, he was a werewolf."

This simple statement may not have made sense to any other sixteen year old girl, but I knew better. My father had me read every book imaginable, and I remembered reading somewhere that if you were bitten by a werewolf, you would become one as well. I took this in stride.

"So, what you're saying is that I'm going to be a werewolf?" They nodded. Then they rushed to tell me that it was only for a week every month, and all my symptoms, and all the stuff I had heard while I was "sleeping." I zoned them out for a minute.

"I really think it would be safest if you went to Hogwarts." This sentence came out in a rush from my mother, and I could sense her nervousness. My father looked agitated, and I tried to smile.

"Mummy, of course you're right. You always know the best choice, even if you don't like it." Mum looked gratefully at me; she knew I had only said that for my father's benefit.

"Dad, you know Mum's right. I also think that I'm old enough now to be able to tell what to do in a tough situation and that you should have enough faith in me to make the right choice." I really think I should become a public speaker. I pretty much just lied through my teeth; choosing to go to Hogwarts wasn't a tough decision, actually, I could hardly contain my excitement.

I knew I would eventually get my way, so I decided to ask questions. "Where am I?"

"You're at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries," Mum answered quickly.

"That's a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?" I asked with a grin. Without waiting for a response, I asked, "what day is it?"

"It's Tuesday morning; you were out for about two nights." I groaned.

"Great. It's going to take me so much time to make up all the work I've missed."

My parents laughed. "Good old Juliet, just like you to find out you're now going to transform into a large beast once a month and you're worrying about schoolwork." My father said cheerfully.

Well, I hadn't thought of it that way. The thought of me painfully turning into a large, wolf-like creature once a month caused me to feel morbid. However, I kept it hidden; after all, I had all the time in the world to be morbid once my parents left. For now, though, I brought the topic back to Hogwarts.

"So, I know I'll have to go over the summer, and really cram in as much studies as I can to catch up with everyone in my year. What about school now? Can I just drop out, or pretend that I'm going to be home-schooled from now on? It would give me about two months of extra time to start reading all the text books. I-"

"Whoa, hold on a second, Juliet." My father put his hands up in a gesture that reminded me of someone trying to stop traffic. "You seem to be under the impression that I'm just about to let you run off to Hogwarts, and into a world you know nothing of."

"Daddy, of _course_, I'm not about to just _run_ off to Hogwarts and into a world I know nothing about. I _was_ planning on taking a train. Please, think sensibly." My parents couldn't resist. They dropped the worried looks, and we all burst out laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This story is in Juliet's point of view; so what she doesn't see, she doesn't experience firsthand. ** **She can only hope to hear all about it.** **:) Just thought I'd throw that out there.**

It was June first. Fifteen days since I had woken up in the hospital bed, eighteen days since I had been bitten by the werewolf, four days since I had been released from the hospital. Twelve days since it was decided that I would attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That is, until my father finally relented, and he felt it necessary to announce it to everyone in sight, as if he had made the very tough decision himself.

My bags were all packed. I was in my room, taking in its every contour before it was time for me to leave for Hogsmeade. Dad was going to apparate my things there, and then come back for me. He told me to prepare myself for apparition; it didn't feel that pleasurable. I replied in an optimistic voice, "Well, I suppose it's only practice for the future."

He gave a slight smile to humor me, but I knew he was worried about the upcoming pain in my near future. What do you expect? He _is_ a father, after all. To be truthful, I was worried as well. I'm ashamed to admit that in the past couple of weeks, I have gone to sleep crying a few times thinking about the thing that I'm going to transform into. I hated myself for crying; I have to be strong; for my parents, my friends…everyone. I've always felt that way.

I looked at my fully packed suitcase at the foot of my bed. I had told my parents that I was just double-checking everything, but really I was catching up on some deep-thinking matters….

*

I couldn't believe that I missed out on so much of my life, and, essentially, my_self_. All because of one man. I'm not the type of person to be pushed around, and if I can't get back what was rightfully mine (my past), then I _would_ bring down the man responsible for it. I _will_ get my revenge.

**

Saying goodbye to my friends had been hard. I could still feel their betrayed looks pouring into my back as I walked away without looking back. I told myself I had had to do it that way, otherwise they'd be back to bother my parents, and questions would arise….

"Hey, Juliet! What's up?" my best friend Maggie said, swinging on a swing at a public playground, along with my other best friends, Rachael and Emma. My face showed that something was wrong, so Maggie dug her bare feet into the ground to stop the swing, and came over.

"I'm leaving, guys," I said sullenly.

Rachael, being a little travel bug, and a bit on the slow side, said, "Ooooh, where?!"

I sighed, and tried to be patient. "Not like that, Rach. Leaving, as in, never coming back. I'm going to a school really far away." Rachael and Maggie gasped, but Emma, always the optimistic one, said, "Oh, Juliet, it's not too bad; we'll be able to send letters right?" I shook my head before she even finished talking.

"You can't send letters to the place that I'm going to." Confusion was written all over their faces.

"Why not? Where are you going?"

"I can't tell you."

"You can't… tell us?" Maggie repeated, as if making sure that I had actually said that. "Well, I still don't see why you can't send letters; just don't put a return address on it if you don't want us to know that badly." The other two nodded empathetically.

"I don't want to send letters." Whoever said big, long sentences were more powerful than short ones, well, they were wrong. Those small, six words rendered my best friends speechless, and I walked away after that, hiding my tears.

*

I didn't know how I was _ever_ going to make up six years worth of studies, but I knew it was going to be hard to say the least. I knew that the Headmaster, a man named Albus Dumbledore, was ecstatic that I was coming, and saw no problem at all that I had missed five years worth of schooling. Fortunately, during my stay in the hospital, to make good use of my time, I read (and memorized, might I add) all the textbooks up to sixth year. Sure, it's hard to believe, but I'm telling the truth. I'm a really fast learner, and a pretty quick reader, if I do say so myself. Some say it's abnormal, I say I'm just that magica-hey. Is that the reason I've been top of my class all these years? Magic has made me a fast learner? Hmmm, it has possibilities.

*

"Juliet! Let's _go_!" My father shouted up the stairs. He was glancing at his watch as I shuffled down the stairs with all my suitcases. He wasn't a patient man when it came to deadlines, and he usually liked to be places twenty minutes early. Professor Dumbledore was expecting us at six o'clock in his office, and it was already 5:20. Oh, my. What an atrocity!

I thought the Headmaster was mad for meeting us in his office. I mean, what if some students saw us? My father expressed these concerns to Dumbledore in one of the many times they've met to talk over the past few weeks. Dumbledore had simply laughed and said, "These students won't even know you're here; and if someone _does_ happen to see you, it will only be a glance, and they'll forget all about you by next September." However, I wasn't fully convinced.

"Oh, goodbye, Juliet, my darling," my mother said, pulling me out of my reverie. "I'm going to miss you terribly. How am I going to keep your father in check without you here to help?" She gave a half-hearted laugh, but I could tell that she was sad that I was leaving.

"Don't worry, Mummy, I'll send you letters every week."

She smiled, but then her face looked stern, and she said, "How about every _two_ weeks? I want you to be all caught up. I don't want you struggling when all the students come back. I-"

My father started tapping his foot impatiently, and my mother sighed and said, "Well, I guess this is it. I'll talk to you soon. I love you."

"I love you too," I replied, and she gave me one of her famous hugs, and I was ready to leave. I hadn't noticed that while I was talking with my mother, Dad had apparated my luggage to the school.

"Take a hold of my arm, ma chéri." I grabbed his arm and as I started to smile at the old nickname, I felt a horrible tug and I felt like I was being squeezed through a very small tube. Daddy was right. It was not a pleasurable feeling.

We arrived in Hogsmeade, and it appeared to be a very quaint little village that I think I would enjoy visiting sometime. However, now was not the time. Now was the time to meet the Headmaster in his office, and vainly hope not to be seen by anyone. Little did I know, that this was a wish that just was not meant to be fulfilled.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Reviews make the world go 'round!!**

There was a little walk to this driveway, where a seemingly horse-less drawn carriage stood waiting for us. Dad leaned down a little to whisper in my ear, "Don't be deceived, Juliet. Those carriages don't just magically pull themselves you know. No pun intended, of course." He laughed at my confused expression, and explained further.

"There are these types of animals, gentle really, but most people are frightened by them, that are called thestrals. They can only be seen by those who have witnessed the death of someone." I stared, fascinated, at the spot where the supposed animals were. Once in the carriage, I stared out the window, waiting for my first glance at the castle.

Within seconds, it came into view, and my heart soared. I hadn't known until then just how much I couldn't wait to be at Hogwarts. I felt at home immediately. The castle was majestic, but homey at the same time. I felt like I _belonged_.

*

We entered through the front doors, which seemed a little ostentatious to me. There were two magnificent doors that had faint chatter coming from them, so I assumed that that was the Great Hall, and people were starting to show up for dinner.

I tried to keep my head down to avoid any eye contact with anyone, but it was hard! There were so many amazing things to look at! I had never been in a building as big, or _old_, and the walls seemed to contain all the history, the secrets, that had happened here since the school had been opened more than a thousand years ago. I walked up countless flights of stairs, holding Daddy's hand. I could've cared less that it was considered childish to hold your father's hand at sixteen; I was, how do you say, nervous as hell! It wasn't the fact that I was leaving my parents (jeez, how sheltered do you think I am?), but more due to the fact that I wasn't going to catch up with my soon-to-be classmates. I was pulled out of these deep thoughts suddenly by loud laughter and voices. Male voices. I couldn't resist. I looked up. Curse me and my stupid curiosity!

Walking toward my father and I were four boys, joking and messing around like all sixteen year old boys do. Actually, the loudest of them all were two boys who both had jet black hair. However, one's hair was longer than the other's. I then noticed the other two boys, one who was shorter than all the others, with sandy colored hair. He was a little chubby, but it looked like it was just baby fat that he would grow out of. The other boy was tall, lean, and, well, handsome. He had light brown hair, and he looked as though he was starting to grow out of his childhood body, and into that of a man's. _Whoa._ Why was I even thinking like that?

As the boy with longer black hair walked by, he noticed me and winked at me with a grin on his face that I'm sure other girls would die for. I wasn't too worried about his notice, though. He struck me as the type of guy that just winked at any girl that passed him in the halls. The light brown haired boy's steps faltered a little as his eyes met mine, and I noticed that they were a very beautiful shade of hazel, and just as the light caught them, there was a hint of gold in them. His face showed confusion, and hardly a second had passed that he hurried off after the other boys. My father didn't notice a thing. Sometimes I was thankful for how _little_ perception of little things my father had.

However, I knew this was bad. That boy would not forget me, I just knew it; I don't know how, but I just did. We arrived at a door with two gargoyles on each side, and my father said the password, which I did not catch, and we stepped onto a platform which started twirling into a staircase. I jumped I surprise, and my father chuckled.

"You better get used to objects doing things by themselves. Sometimes, they won't do what you want them to do. It's going to take you a while to find your way around the castle."

It was odd that Dad didn't seem too worried about my education, and the fact that I needed to catch up on five years of school. I voiced this opinion to my father. In case you hadn't noticed yet, I'm not the type to keep my opinions to myself. This can be good at times, but, at others, get me into some trouble. But that, my friends, is a story for another time…

"Hun, Professor Dumbledore is the kind of man you can trust absolutely. With anything. I'm not worried because I know he's got more than a few tricks up his sleeve." I pondered this as Daddy knocked loudly on the tall oak doors three times.

"Enter," a serene voice said immediately. I pushed open the doors, and Dad and I walked in.

"Hello," the man continued. "Oh, do have a seat! It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Bell." The man said, acknowledging my father with a nod. This man's beard was longer than my hair! Which was saying something; my light blonde hair reached my waist; I had only had one haircut in my life, and that was when I was five. I loved my hair, but I wasn't vain about it like some of the girls in my old school.

"You must be Miss Bell!" Dumbledore continued, a twinkle in his deep blue eyes. I had the eerie feeling that he had just read my thoughts. The excited Headmaster clapped his hands together once and said, "Right! Let's get down to business!" He reminded me of a young child on Christmas morning. The thought of this brought a smile to my lips, and Dumbledore seemed encouraged by what he assumed was my optimism.

"I know you've probably been worrying about your education-or lack of it, should I say. However, I must ask you to quit worrying! I have a perfect solution to your problem with the mix of two magical aids!" Jeez, he sounded like one of those people on television that tried selling new things left and right.

Professor Dumbledore paused, and I nodded, indicating that he should continue. "With the mix of a Time-Turner and a Quickening Spell, you'll be able to fit in all of your lost years at Hogwarts!" Two weeks ago, these words would have had little effect on me; after all, I hadn't known anything about magic then. I was wiser now, however. My worries were soon extinguished, and a bright smile filled my face.

"That's brilliant!" I said excitedly. "I wish I could've known about it sooner; it would've saved a lot of sleep loss. Oh, well. All that matters now is that I'll be able to do all my studies in the little amount of time I have!" Wow, I hadn't been this excited in a while. Lately, I've been detached and a bit moody; I blamed the new werewolf senses, but subconsciously I knew it was deeper than that.

My father was looking confusedly back and forth from me and the Headmaster. "What exactly is going on here?" I sighed.

"Daddy, sometimes I just don't know what to do with you."

"Hey, don't get smart, I like you the way you are!" I laughed at my family's favorite phrase. ***

"Alright, alright; what Professor Dumbledore is saying is that to fit in all my studies I should use a Time-Turner. However, I would have to use it so many times that it could become dangerous what with all the time travel and such. So, in order to let me use it a decent amount of times, I'm going to use a Quickening Spell. This spell helps you get work five times faster than a normal human being is able to."

"Ah, I see." My father said. "Why doesn't every witch or wizard use it for their jobs to get things done a lot faster?"

I started to explain, but Dumbledore beat me. "The Quickening Spell causes immense drowsiness when used in excess." He put his hand up as Dad started to protest that he didn't want his daughter to experience "immense drowsiness."

"That's why at the end of each day after Juliet casts the _finite_ charm before she goes to sleep, she will take a potion, a pick-me-up of sorts." I didn't mention the fact that I hadn't gotten a wand yet; that wasn't the only thing I hadn't mentioned to the wise Headmaster, I thought, the boys I had met in the hall on my mind.

Daddy nodded in agreement. "Where will I be staying?" I asked.

Dumbledore replied automatically, "Actually, at the moment, we have an area of the school that is not being used, and I cast a charm that multiplied the original five rooms into twenty. This way, you'll be able to achieve three weeks worth of work per day." My eyes widened, and I couldn't wait to start. Which, I know sounds crazy, wanting to do schoolwork and all, but this is _magical_ work. Literally.

"Well, Daddy, I think I'm ready for you to leave." My father and the Headmaster both laughed at my not-too-subtle sentence.

"Yes, I suppose I have to go. Ingrid probably has dinner waiting." I gave my father the tightest hug I could muster, and he stepped into the fireplace and the last thing I heard him say was, "Hogsmeade."

Mmhhmm, suuree, Mum had dinner waiting for him. If that was so, then why didn't he just go home? I bet he's stopping to get a drink. I smiled fondly while thinking of my parents. The Headmaster coughed slightly to remind me of where I was. I jumped slightly, and turned towards him.

"Sir, I have a slight problem. I don't have a wand. How am I going to cast the spells?"

"Ah, yes, that is a bit of a problem…let me see." He glanced at the large grandfather clock behind me. Six o'clock. Great, my father leaves right when our meeting is supposed to start. Mr. I-have-to-be-early-for-everything. "Well, Diagon Alley's shops usually close at about 9:30, so why don't you go and get all the items you'll need for sixth year?" Dumbledore said, smiling slightly.

"Are you coming?"

"If you want me to."

I pondered this slightly. If Mum and Dad knew the first thing I did when I got to Hogwarts was to leave and go wandering by myself at night in Diagon Alley, they would go ballistic. I grinned and said, "Naw, I think I'll be able to handle myself." This was going to be fun.

**A/N: **I have to give credit where it's due, and this phrase, sadly, cannot be claimed as mine. This is often directed at me from my grandfather, who is the funniest guy I know. Ah, you gotta love 'em. **

**I particularly liked this chapter because, finally, I'm getting into the story! Next chapter will be up shortly, hopefully tonight.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: New chapter, yay! Well, that's basically all I have to say now, so read on!!**

A velvet bag slid across Dumbledore's desk in my direction. "Sir, what's this?" I asked, gingerly picking up the heavy pouch. Dumbledore gave a slight smile, and said, "For you. You're going to need it."

I loosened the strings of the bag and looked inside. Seeing it full to the brim with gold coins, I knew I could not accept this charity. I extended my arm out to him to hand the pouch back, but the stubborn man flat-out refused to take it back.

"So," he said, completely changing the subject, implying that it was a done deal. "Have you ever traveled by Floo before?" I shook my head.

"Oh, you're going to hate it," he said cheerfully.

Great. Thanks for the optimism booster, old man. That's all I needed.

"Well, it's quite simple really. You take a fistful of this powder," the Headmaster said, indicating to a large jar filled with green powder over the fireplace. "Then you step _into_ the fireplace, and say, very clearly, _Diagon Alley._ Do you understand?"

Oh, I dearly hope that I don't mess up, was all that I understood at the moment. I vaguely remember nodding at him as I walked by, grabbed a fistful of the green powder, and stepped into the fireplace.

"Diagon Alley!" Just as I started to spin, I heard Dumbledore yell, "And when you want to get back, find a fireplace, and yell, 'Dumbledore's office!' Have fun!"

I continued spinning. And spinning. And spinning. I worried that I would miss my stop, and when I felt the time was right, I stuck my leg out, and felt myself fall out of a fireplace, into a chair, over said chair, and flat on my back in a small, dimly lit tavern.

I groaned as I sat up, rubbing the small of my back. That was going to leave a mark.

"Are you all right there, missy?" Came a gruff voice. I looked over to my right and saw a man wiping a glass dry. "Yes, thank you," I said politely. I was always very polite in public. I don't know if it was because of shyness, or the fact that my parents had drilled into me how to behave in the presence of strangers…Definitely the latter.

"Excuse me sir, but I'm going to be purchasing many things from Diagon Alley, and I was wondering if you could perhaps show me the way." I said in an innocent tone. The man jumped out from behind the counter.

"Of course, miss. Follow me, if you will." The man led me to a back door, and he opened it, revealing a brick wall. I was about to say something, but then I noticed him take out his wand. I stared, fascinated, at it. Ever since I had found out about magic, Daddy had been using magic a little around the house, and each time I saw him take out his wand, I would stop whatever I was doing and stare, transfixed.

The man tapped the bricks in a certain way, and as it opened to reveal many shops, he said, "Oh, and by the way, my name's Robert. But you can call me Robbie, if you'd like."

"Hello, Robbie, it was very nice to meet you. My name is Juliet." He blushed a little, heavens know why, and said, "Pleasure," with his head bowed down a bit. He then trudged back into the tavern, and I continued on my way. I couldn't stop swiveling my head; I felt like an owl. Hey! An owl! I completely forgot that owls were considered common pets! I was sure to buy one.

I walked down the long street, debating on which store to go in first. I decided on a large shop called "Flourish and Blotts," a bookstore. As I entered, a little bell rang overhead. I looked at the books on the stands that were currently popular, until a short man came out from behind a bookshelf.

"Hello, miss, would you like help finding anything?" The balding man asked.

"Yes, please, I'm wondering if you could help me find the books needed for year six at Hogwarts. I don't exactly know what I need, because I don't have my supply list." I asked, subconsciously tugging at my hair, which I do sometimes when I'm nervous. I really hope he doesn't ask any questions about why I'm not in school or why I'm getting my supplies so early.

"Of course. A bit early aren't we?" The shopkeeper chuckled, but, fortunately, did not pursue the matter. I followed him down several aisles, while he picked out various books, humming absentmindedly to himself. Finally, he said, "If you'll follow me, I'll ring these up for you."

"Thank you, sir, and I'm sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you for not knowing what I needed." The man waved his hand before I even finished talking and said, "Nonsense! It was no trouble, no trouble at all! Now, will you be going to Hogwarts next year? I don't recall seeing you before."

I cleared my throat. "Oh, yes, I'll be attending next September." I didn't offer him anything else, but that seemed to be all that was needed for the genial shopkeeper.

"Oh, how splendid! And I hope you won't mind me saying this, but your manners are impeccable! You should teach some of the students going there now some of them." He winked, as if we shared some kind of secret.

"Thank you," I said again. "Well, I'll be seeing you, then. It was a pleasure meeting you." I grabbed my bagful of books and subtly took a few steps closer to the door. "A pleasure, miss!" I smiled and gave a slight nod, and quickly hurried out the door. I could tell that that was the type of man that would talk your ear off if you gave him the chance.

I glanced at my watch. It was 7:00. I had two and a half hours left. I better hurry if I want to make it to all the shops, I thought.

The next shop I came to was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. I entered.

The second my foot touched the doorstep inside, a woman came hurrying out from behind the counter. "Hello, miss, how may I be of service?"

Wow. Talk about some fine quality service right there. "Uh, see that's the thing. I'm not exactly sure what I should get, and I'm going to be attending Hogwarts in September. Do you happen to know what the dress code is there?" The woman seemed thoroughly amused at my question, and laughed.

"You must not have come here before, have you? Oh, never mind. All that matters now is that you're here, and I'll be needing your measurements." This woman was swift and straight to the point, unlike the man back at Flourish and Blotts.

She pulled out a tape measure, and started jotting out notes, as the little tool took my measurements by itself.

A few moments later, the tape measure dropped to the floor, and the woman said, quite abruptly, "Stay right here; I'll be right back." I stood, waiting, and looked around.

There were piles of robes everywhere, and on the counter that the lady had come out from, there were piles of papers. Ah. That must be the reason she seemed so rushed. She must have a lot of paperwork to get done. I knew how that could make a person anxious, per say, and knew full well to stay out of their way when they were in the middle of doing paperwork. Let's just say I have some experience with the matter.

The woman came hurrying back into the room with a large bag, which I assumed were filled with my clothes that I needed. "Here you are," she said. "There are five robes for your week, and one pair of dress robes." I paid the amount due, and said my thanks. However, I doubt if she heard me. As soon as she had the money in her hand, she rushed back behind the counter and picked up her quill (quill?) and started writing furiously.

I continued on my way down the cobbled road, and decided to step into the Apothecary. The two men who owned the shop seemed friendly enough, and I quickly took a liking to them. However, I knew I couldn't dawdle, so I picked up the necessary potions ingredients and went on my way.

The next store I came to was Eeylops Owl Emporium. I excitedly went in, and took in the sight of hundreds of owls softly hooting to each other. It certainly was a sight to behold. I walked up a couple of aisles, none of the birds quite sticking out to me. Finally, when I reached the fourth aisle, I heard a soft screech, and I turned my head. My eyes met the bright eyes of a tawny owl, and I knew this was _my_ owl. I went to ask for some assistance, and soon had bought the owl with the cage it went in, and, of course this goes without saying, some owl treats. As I walked out of the store, I cooed lovingly to the bird. I had never owned a pet before, but I did have a fondness for animals, and my new owl had especially stuck out to me.

I came upon a store called "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine wands since 382 B.C." My pulse quickened. I was finally about to get the one thing I had most been looking forward to: a wand! I entered the barely-lit store with optimism, and walked up to the counter.

A man jumped out of nowhere, and I jumped about a foot in the air. "Hello, there, Miss Bell, I'd wondered why I hadn't seen you yet," the man said quietly. To be honest, he kind of scared me. How did he know who I was?! "Ah, you're wondering how I know who you are…Yes, there is a certain air of magic someone carries around them, usually close to that of their parents, and yours is quite similar to your father's." He trailed off.

"Oh. Okay. Thank you." I said lamely.

Disregarding that I had said anything, he went on, "So, I take it you are here for your wand. Let me see, let me see…" he said, talking more to himself than to me. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared, and I could hear him shuffling things in the back of the store. Just as quickly, he was back, but this time he had five thin boxes with him. How he had picked them, I have no idea. He then proceeded to select one of the five, opened it, and took out the wand.

"Now, which is your wand arm?" I extended my left arm, which I use to write with. He handed me the wand, and suddenly, I felt warmth grow from beneath my fingertips. I twirled it in a little circle and red sparks flew from the tipoff the wand. A huge smile lit my face and Ollivander mirrored me.

"Excellent, excellent! I had a thought…This wand is a 14" willow, with a wand lore of a Hippogriff's talon; this wand works wonders for charms work!" I twirled the wand again, and more sparks shot out of the end. I was ecstatic as I walked out the door with my new wand. I had been assured it would have taken longer to find one! As I decided to head back to the tavern I had come out of, I let my mind wander. I thought of all the work I was going to have to do in the next couple of months. It would probably be a bit grueling, but I would be learning things that I was very interested in, so it would be worth it.

As I gazed at all the shops and stalls I passed, I forgot that I was walking on a _cobblestone_ road, tripped, and sent my bags flying. I dearly hoped no one saw the very ungraceful fall, but, once again, fate was against me.

"My, my, are you all right?" A voice drawled, and a dark haired man crouched beside me. His left sleeve fell down as he reached out to help me up and my eyes flicked toward the exposed skin. There was an awful looking tattoo there. He followed my gaze and quickly pulled his sleeve up with his other hand, the tattooed arm still waiting for me to take his hand. I decided I had no choice and firmly grasped his hand. He pulled me up with ease, and asked again, "All right?"

I nodded and glanced around me at my bags. My owl was screeching indignantly, but other than being woken up from a nap, she wasn't hurt in any way. As I gathered my things, I could feel the man staring at me. I turned and before I could say something he asked, "Have we met before? I'm afraid I don't recognize you."

What is it with these people? Do they _really_ expect to know everyone that they meet on the streets? Why can't anyone just say thank you and be on their way anymore? No, it has to be some big production.

I hid my agitation as I said, "No, I don't think we've met before. My name's Juliet." I didn't offer my last name, but instead offered my hand. He shook it and said, "Henry." I noted he didn't offer his surname either.

I tried to wrap things up, as it was getting close to 9:30. I said, "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you Henry. I'll be seeing you."

"And you, Juliet. I hope to see you again." With a nod of his head, he strode swiftly in the opposite direction I was heading. I drew in a deep breath and continued on my way into the tavern.

**A/N: Well, I'd like to say I've been feeling pretty guilty for not getting this up very quickly. School's a drag! Counting the days till summer! :) **


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up early the next day in a comfortable (king size, I might add) bed. I yawned and stretched, and it took a moment for me to gather my bearings. Suddenly, I remembered where I was. I couldn't help it. I gave a whoop of joy because life was good, to put it simply. I was going to be learning magic! I wanted to start as soon as I could so I jumped out of bed and started getting ready. I noticed a pair of robes draped over a large armchair and I put them on. I then brushed the nest I like to call me hair, and left it down. As I walked toward the door, I stopped as I looked at my reflection coming from an ornately decorated mirror on the wall.

Blue-grey eyes stared back at me, and my pale skin seemed to glow in the lighting. I brushed a strand of my pale blonde hair out of my face, and looked away from the mirror. I continued walking through the spacious bedroom and as I reached out for the doorknob I stopped midway. What am I _doing_?! I thought to myself. I had almost just walked right through that door and toward other students and future classmates. I had to be more careful, or else I _would_ be found out. My stomach grumbled. What about breakfast? I guess I'll just have to wait for the Headmaster to come fetch me.

I rubbed my stomach as I turned back to face the room. I gasped as I saw what was on the small circular table next to the mirror. It was a breakfast fit for a queen! I ran over and dug into all my favorite breakfast foods. Bacon, sausage, pancakes, crepes, eggs of all kinds, you name it. When I had stuffed myself as best I could, I groaned and lay back down on my bed. I glanced at the clock, which hung on the wall over my bed, which told me it was 8:00.

I closed my eyes, and not a second after they closed, someone knocked on my door. I groaned quietly and got up, and said, "Who is it?"

"It is I, Professor Dumbledore." Came the Headmaster's friendly voice. I opened the door and let him in.

"So," he said, spreading his arms wide, indicating the large bedroom, "I trust you slept well?"

"Yes, thank you, sir. This is very accommodating. I greatly appreciate it. Will we be getting started?"

Dumbledore chuckled at my eagerness, and said, "Yes, that's why I came. I'm going to teach you the Quickening Spell and explain how to use a Time-Turner. Then, I will give you your schedule for the week. You will complete the schedule three times per day, perhaps sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on how well you understand the subject. My estimate is that you'll finish towards the end of July. Now, the students of Hogwarts will leave for their summer break on June 17th. From then on, you _will_ be free to explore the castle. However, I doubt you will have much time until you've finished your schoolwork. After that you'll be free to roam the castle as you desire." Dumbledore's smile widened, and he continued. "You won't have to do the summer work that will be assigned to the incoming sixth years, but if anyone asks, it might be best to say you completed the assignments so no questions arise."

I nodded, and said, "Isn't the spell that you're going to teach me harder than my level?" No need to mention that I wasn't at much of a level anyway.

"Yes, it might take you a couple of times to get the hang of it, but I am quite sure your capabilities are up to standard." Dumbledore's confidence in me gave _me_ confidence, and I really wanted to prove myself to him.

"Let's get started; I know you're excited. Do you have your wand?" I pulled it out of my pocket and showed it to him.

"Excellent. If you don't mind me asking, what kind is it?" I didn't mind at all, and I told him what Ollivander had told me.

"He also said it was a good wand for charms." I said as an afterthought.

He nodded in a satisfied sort of way. "Let' proceed into the other room, shall we" he said grandly, sweeping his arm towards the door I had almost walked through earlier this morning. As we walked through the doorway, I saw it would have been no problem if I had walked into the room before. It was the room Dumbledore had mentioned yesterday; the one he had multiplied so I could get all the more work done.

The Headmaster closed the door to my bedroom, and started to speak again. "So, there are typically five classes in one day, so you will use your Time-Turner five times for each day. This means that after your first hour, you'll go back one hour, and so and so on. You have to be very careful, and once you've gone back enough times for three weeks, I advise you don't use it any more. You can continue without the Time-Turner, but you'll probably be so tired, you'll want to rest. Have you done any research on the Time-Turners?"

"Yes, and I actually understood it, surprisingly enough. I also practiced some basic spells last night before I went to sleep, and they all turned out pretty well." Man, I am so modest, it amazes even me sometimes. The spells I had tried were perfect, and I was up late casting _Wingardium Leviosa _on everything I came into contact with.

"Phew, I'm glad. I hate having to explain it. I often mess up when trying to explain time and the person I was explaining it to ends up more confused than before and we both acquire a headache." The thought that Dumbledore was bad at something amused me, but I didn't let it show.

"Oh, and another thing," Dumbledore went on. "If you happen to see yourself, either from the past or the future, I suggest you not pay too much attention to yourself. You'll most likely end up distracted, and then confused about whether you're the past or the future, and it just becomes a big mess." I smiled and agreed.

"Now, on to the Quickening Spell! After you've done it for a while, it'll be like second nature. Take your wand and point it at your temple." I did so.

"You give it a sharp flick, using your wrist more than your hand, and say, it's a long one, _Potestus Firmitis Festinatio!_" As I started to, Dumbledore quickly shouted, "No, no, not yet!"

I stopped.

"You should say it a few times before you try it on yourself. Then, I want you to try it on this turtle."

I stared, dumbstruck, as he pulled a turtle out of his pocket. "Uh…"

He laughed but didn't explain. After I had said the charm enough times, he indicated that I should try it on the turtle.

I focused on the turtle, which was crawling slowly across a desk. I took a deep breath, and pointed my wand at the little creature. "_Potestus Firmitus Festinatio!_"

I flicked my wrist like Dumbledore had demonstrated earlier. The turtle suddenly started zooming across the desk, and as it was about to fall off, Dumbledore's hand shot out surprisingly fast and caught it. Dumbledore straightened his back, and turned toward me. He was beaming.

"Excellent! You're the first to get it right on their first time! You are especially gifted, I can tell already. I wouldn't be surprised if all the material you'll be learning over the next few weeks will just come naturally!"

I grinned at the compliment. We then noticed the turtle squirming in his hand.

"Would you like to do the honors," he asked, smiling at me. I hesitated.

"Oh, it's easy; just point your wand at him and say '_Finite!'_ It's pretty basic. Go on," he said encouragingly.

I raised my wand once again and said, "_Finite!"_ The turtle stopped squirming.

I was ecstatic. What can I say? Magic just came naturally to me.

"Ok, then, I think you're all set. I'll leave you to it. Oh, and I almost forgot, every night there will be a tonic waiting for you. Drink it after you've finished for the day, and then go to sleep. It'll help keep your energy up. I'll come check on how you're doing later on. Have fun." And with that, he left.

I stood there for a moment. I was surprised he hadn't stayed while I cast the Quickening Spell on myself. Oh, well. I guess I'm on my own for a while. I looked at my schedule and saw the classes I was taking for the first week. Or hour. Or…oh, God, I'm going to confuse myself. I should just stop now.

I glanced into one of the rooms, and saw five desks with supplies and books on it. In front of each desk was a small, portable-looking chalkboard. There were directions on each of them. I went to the first one, Potions, and pointed the wand towards my temple. You can do this, I told myself encouragingly.

I took a steadying breath. Raising the wand to my temple, I said, "_Potestus Firmitis Festinatio!" _Immediately, my hands started moving much more quickly than they would have ever been able to do in reality. I picked up my potion's book, and got to work on a basic potion. Pretty soon, the pot was simmering and, even sooner, everything was done. All in what seemed like a matter of seconds. Of course, I thought logically, it was more than seconds, it just seemed like it was less time than it really was. Or was it? No matter, I thought, and continued working.

Pretty soon, I was on Transfiguration, the last subject of the day; well, that is, the last subject before I started repeating everything again and again. Transfiguration rendered a little more difficult than the other subjects. I had to slow down a little and read the directions a few times, which was uncommon for me. I was used to everything coming naturally to me.

A couple hours later (or was it several hours later? Time was now irrelevant) I had finished my first week. Only two more to go before I could be done for the day. I'm thinking about trying to fit in a couple more weeks if I can, but I'll see how I feel when I've completed the necessary weeks first.

As I expanded my knowledge of magic, I became more and more fascinated by it. To think I had been living without it for so long! This work doesn't feel like work. It feels like a hobby I could continue doing for a long time without getting tired of it.

Time became just a number on the clock while I was working. Instead, I counted how many classes I had left. When it was about 2:30 in the afternoon, I finished the first three weeks of my first year. I was ecstatic. I don't think Dumbledore had expected me to finish so quickly, but I had raced through all my subjects except for Transfiguration. That one I had had to concentrate more closely on. I would have been done sooner if I hadn't gone so slowly in that subject.

It was only when I finished my last class for the first three weeks that I realized I was famished. I went into the bedroom, hoping that there would be food once again. When I saw the table, my day got even better. It's like someone could read my thoughts, and they knew exactly what I wanted. There wasn't a whole buffet this time, but the chicken salad sandwich was made to perfection. It tasted just like my mother made it; the tomatoes as fresh as they would be if they had come from our garden.

I sighed as I finished the last bite of sandwich. Should I do more work? I thought to myself. I have a few hours before the tonic arrives and I can go to sleep, because I'm sure they didn't expect me to finish so quickly. I decided to do a bit more work.

After completing one more week's worth of work, I decided I had had enough for one day-I didn't want to overexert myself. Raising my wand to my temple once more, I said confidently, "_Finite._"

With my brain swimming with new information, I sat back and thought about my day, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that it had indeed been only one day. I had learned so much, yet so little. I had only made a small dent in my magical education. I closed my eyes for a brief moment. When I opened them again, there was a little bottle of some kind of liquid on the table. I stood up and went to the table, and reached for the bottle. A note was underneath it. I unfolded the note, and found curly writing:

Juliet-

I hope you enjoyed your first day. This is the tonic that you will drink everyday at this time. It doesn't taste that bad, but I'm sure you'll be tired of it after a while. Sleep well.

-Professor Dumbledore

I smiled. I drank the tonic and got ready for bed, even though it was still pretty early and I hadn't had dinner yet. I was just so exhausted; all I wanted to do was sleep. So I did.

**A/N: This chapter took a while to write, but at least I've got it posted! (finally) I'm off to start the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

It was June twentieth. A little more than a month since I had been bitten. I was aware that soon I would have my first transformation. I knew there would be pain involved. My senses were heightened, and even walking across the tile floor of the room where I worked was loud. I could smell everything with more clarity. I could see things more clearly (not that I have bad vision, I could just see things that were pretty far away).

It was late in the afternoon, and I had just cast the finite spell on myself. There was a light knock on the door.

"Come in!" I said, expecting Professor Dumbledore.

But it was not. Instead, it was a middle-aged woman. She began to speak immediately.

"Hello, dear, my name is Madame Pomfrey. I'm the school nurse, and I'll be assisting you with your first transformation."

I was surprised. I thought only Dumbledore had known about my condition. I guess not. "Oh, well, thank you. I know it's going to hurt, but I'll deal with it. Where will I be staying during the transformation?"

Madame Pomfrey seemed taken aback at my answer. I suppose she expected me to cry at how pitiful my life had become, or how I didn't want to be a monster. Well, I'm going to let her know straight off-I'm not one to cry at those types of things. I know that there's nothing you can do about it, and that in these types of situations, a person has a choice. They can choose to make the best of the situation or they can mope around all day. I think we all know which one I tend to choose in these situations.

"Right, well, uh," Madame Pomfrey stumbled. She seemed to have lost her train of thought. "Tonight is the night of the full moon. In a few minutes, I will be leading you to a tree. However, this isn't any ordinary tree. It will attack you. That's why you'll have to levitate a stick and hit a certain knot, so that the tree _doesn't_ attack you. I'll show you how when we get there. Once the tree has been frozen, that is where we part. You will go down the path all the way until you reach a house. Well, actually, it's more a shack. You will stay there, until your transformation is over. Are you with me?"

Once I nodded, she continued. "In the morning, I will come fetch you. However, you will still be weak, and you will rest for a day or two, in either the infirmary, or your own bed. I will assist in any ways as possible, but I am afraid that there isn't much to do about your condition."

"That's okay. I understand." I said. And I did. I knew that werewolf knowledge was still pretty lacking. I just wish someone would do something about it.

My stomach started turning in anticipation. I knew that this was coming. There was no way around it. I wasn't so much worried about the pain so much as how I wouldn't be in control of myself. Of the thing I would become.

"Alright, I'm ready to go when you are," Madame Pomfrey said, drawing me away from my thoughts.

"Should I bring any spare clothes?"

"Oh, yes, why don't you bring some extra clothing. No doubt the clothes you're wearing will be ruined. I just hope you don't run into them and claw them up when you've transformed." She gave me a pitying look. I hated that. I didn't need anyone's pity. I would get through this just fine by myself, thank you very much.

We finally left, and I tried to remember all the twists and turns we took to get to the front doors, but it was hopeless. This place is just too _big_! As we went outside, I breathed in the fresh summer air. It felt good to be outside again. We walked in silence for a few minutes, and I looked this way and that. I could hardly take it all in. I spotted a giant tree, which could only be the tree Madame Pomfrey was referring to. A little ways over, there was a large lake.

"Here it is. The Whomping Willow," Madame Pomfrey said as we grew closer to the massive tree.

"Wow. . . it's, um, quite big." I said. The nurse laughed.

"Yes, yes, it is. Are you sure you're all set? I don't want you to feel any pressure- you may ask me any questions of you don't understand anything." What's not to understand? I didn't say this however.

"No, thank you I understand," I said politely.

She then raised her wand at a stick that was lying nearby, and said, "_Wingardiam Leviosa_!"

The stick was raised into the air, and Madame Pomfrey maneuvered it so that it hit a knot at the base of the tree. I made note of where the knot was located.

"Okay, well, I guess this is goodbye. See you in the morning," Madame Pomfrey said awkwardly, and swiftly walked away. That was weird. Maybe it felt different for her because she hadn't known me for that long, and we had to meet because of me being a werewolf? I just don't know.

I walked under the tree hesitatingly. I didn't want to be suddenly attacked by a tree, for heaven's sake! I laughed at the thought. I ducked my head as I went into the passageway, which would be very difficult for someone to find if you didn't know where to look. I took out my wand and said quietly, "_Lumos_!" so I would be able to see. It _was_ a pretty dark passage after all.

So I started walking. And walking. And walking. Man, this just went on forever, didn't? Just when I thought I would be walking forever, I tripped on a stair. I fell with an oomph! Picking myself up and dusting myself off, I walked up the stairs. Opening a door, I found I was in, indeed, a shack.

The couch that was in what I'm guessing is the living room was all torn up, and the walls and doors, had long scratches in them. Who else had been here before? I spent the next hour exploring, and trying to shake off a growing headache. When it was finally too much to bear, I sank onto the couch and rubbed my temples. Uh oh. It's coming isn't it? I swallowed. This wasn't exactly how I had pictured my first transformation. I know that I have to be alone, though. When I'm a werewolf, I could attack a human at any second. That's why I have to be locked up here for the full moon.

Suddenly, I felt myself lose the grip I had been holding onto so firmly. My transformation was beginning. My skin changed to fur, and my nails grew to claws. I let out a howl as pain gripped my whole body. When I thought I couldn't possibly endure any more, it ended.

My thoughts were no longer as controlled, and the smallest thing distracted me. I ran about the shack, stumbling often as I tried to figure out how to walk with four legs. I scratched things with my new claws. I howled with my enlarged lungs. It was a whole different experience from that of a human's. Not exactly a pleasurable experience, but, an experience nonetheless. I looked down at my front paws, and saw the tufts of light brown hair that now covered my arms (or were they my legs?). I sniffed through my now very large nose.

I spent the hours running, scratching, and howling. And sniffing things. But that goes without saying, doesn't it? A couple times, I stumbled, and scratched myself on a piece of furniture. I was glad no one was there to see the embarrassing falls.

Soon, it was morning. I vaguely thought about how I was soon going to have yet another painful transformation, and no sooner had I thought that, that it began. My howls turned to screams as I became human once more. I lay huddled for a few moments before gathering up the strength to move. I was so _sore_. I had several scratches and bruises on my arms and legs from when I fell into things.

Standing up, I wobbled, and quickly grabbed the small table nearby for support. My clothes were almost entirely shredded to nothingness, and I quickly changed into my other pair of robes before Madame Pomfrey came.

I was feeling quite weak, and I was really tired. I heard someone call out my name form below.

"Juliet?" Came the voice of Madame Pomfrey.

"I'm here!" I called. I slowly walked down the stairs, and met the middle-aged woman in the hall.

"How do you feel," she asked in a concerned voice, automatically feeling my forehead when I was within range.

"Tired. And sore. Really sore." I said. I stifled a yawn.

"That's what I thought. Come on, I want to get you in bed as soon as possible." She supported me by putting her arm around my waist, which was a good thing, because I was about to pass out from sleep deprivation any second now.

*

When I was comfortably back in my bed, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I didn't have any dreams.

*

When I awoke, it was dark outside. I looked behind me at the clock, and it read 8:30. I fell asleep soon after once more, and didn't awake until morning.

I woke up fairly early to the sounds of something clinking. Someone was sitting in the rocking chair in the corner, and they were stirring their spoon in their tea cup. I raised my head and saw Madame Pomfrey. She rushed over.

"How do you feel?" she asked again.

"Good; rested." I replied, and I stretched and yawned.

"That's excellent. I'm glad you've regained so much energy so quickly. However, you are to rest again today. I don't want to take any chances."

I started to protest. "That would take too much time from my studies. And besides, I feel better today." I tried to tell myself to be respectful; she was an adult after all.

"No, I won't have it. You need all the rest you can get. Now, can I trust you not to get up, or do I need to stay here?

Ha! Of course I told her that she needn't stay, that I was a responsible girl who listened to her elders. Madame Pomfrey left with a suspicious look on her face, but I wasn't worried about her coming back. As soon as she left, I jumped out of bed and got dressed and ready for the day. After a while, I got back into the flow of things, and my studies continued.

*

Hours turned to days, and days turned to weeks. In what seemed like no time at all, I was on my last day of catching up. It was the 15th of July. I had to do only two weeks, as I had stayed up late last night trying to fit in as much work as possible. I was ecstatic to be done; not that I didn't like learning magic, but that I would be able to explore the castle.

Transfiguration still gave me a little trouble, but I was okay in it. My best (and favorite, I might add) subject was Potions by a long shot. I just loved it in general. I also enjoyed Charms, which I was very good at. What? Modesty isn't my strongest quality!

By noon, I was done. I couldn't believe I was actually done. And much sooner than Dumbledore had expected! I was still in awe that I had even been able to fit in _five_ years of schoolwork in only about four weeks. It was amazing.

My stomach rumbled. I think I'll have lunch with everyone else today! That is, if I can find it. As I closed the door to the bedroom, it shut harder than I had expected it to.

"Ouch!" I said, clutching my hands to my head. That was loud! I remembered the date. I groaned. I was due for the next transformation any day now. It wasn't something I was looking forward to. Oh well. Might as well enjoy the rest of my day without my uneasy thoughts of the approaching full moon.

I tried to remember all the corridors and hallways I had gone down when I went to the front doors with Madame Pomfrey. However, it was hopeless. Within a few minutes, I was lost. Great. I started wandering aimlessly, hoping to find a staircase that would lead to the main floor. I found a _staircase_, just not the right one. Finally, I came upon an opening in a long corridor. Please let this be it, I said to myself. Yes! There were definitely stairs-not necessarily the right ones, but stairs nonetheless.

I went down. And down. And down. My room must have been in one of the highest towers. Finally, I reached the last staircase. Somehow, I had made it. Not in time for lunch, but who cares? I actually found my way to the Great Hall. The only problem was getting back to my room.

I opened the massive oak doors, and heard someone call my name. It was Dumbledore. He was seated at a large table which was facing the other four tables, so I'm assuming that that is where the teachers sit.

I cleared my throat as I walked down towards the table where he was sitting. "Yes, Professor, I just finished the last of my fifth year, and I thought I would try to explore the castle a bit, and have lunch in the Great Hall."

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Truly? You've finished already? That's excellent! I can't believe you finished so soon! Come, come! Have a seat!" He indicated the chair next to him, and I sat down.

"I'm just amazed that you've finished almost two weeks sooner than we thought you would! I can barely comprehend it." I noticed how he said "we."

I smiled and said, "I'm just amazed that I even found out how to get here. It took me a while, but I found the Great Hall."

Dumbledore laughed.

"I'm sure after a week or so you'll be walking the halls like a professional. Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I'm starved," I said, and no sooner had the words come out of my mouth, that my stomach gave a tremendous growl. My cheeks reddened, but Dumbledore just laughed once more.

"I think your stomach agrees with you."

Suddenly, the plate in front of me filled with food. Magic never ceased to amaze me. As filled my mouth with food (politely, of course) Dumbledore just sat there and talked to me about simple things, like who the teachers were, and how I could meet them sometime in the next couple of days.

"Can't I see them tonight at dinner?" I asked, swallowing a huge bite. "Oh, right. The full moon's tonight isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Dumbledore responded. "But don't worry, you'll be able to see them for the rest of the summer. I'm sure you'll be sick of them by the time school starts! Oh, and that reminds me," he said, turning in his chair, to better see me.

"When the new school year starts, you can either choose to be Sorted into your House privately in my office, or you can choose to be Sorted after the First Years, in front of your classmates-to-be."

I thought about this. I wasn't afraid of a crowd, and I didn't want my new classmates to wonder why there was some new girl in the sixth year that they had never seen before.

"I think I'd rather be Sorted in front of my classmates-to-be," I said finally.

As Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak, the doors to the Great Hall burst open suddenly.

Madame Pomfrey strolled in. "_There_ you are. I've been looking for you everywhere." She was talking to me.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be an inconvenience; I just wanted to have lunch in the Great Hall today because I finished my studies." I said in an apologetic voice.

"Well, congratulations. But you need to get ready. Nighttime is fast approaching, and you have to get ready." Was it really night already?

"Oh, okay, let's go, then. Goodbye, Professor." Dumbledore gave me a sad smile as I walked out, Madame Pomfrey pulling on my sleeve.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was so late."

"It's fine, dear. I picked up a spare pair of robes. They aren't yours, just borrowed, and I don't expect them back. They're pretty old. I just don't want you having to lose a pair of robes each month because of the full moon. That could get pretty expensive."

I agreed. The cool air felt good, and I needed it, as I was feeling all the stress that Madame Pomfrey was feeling. I think she was overreacting just a little; it wasn't that late.

Soon, I was in the shack, alone once more. My transformation was as painful as I had remembered, but at least I didn't fall as many times as the first time. The hours passed, and I became human again. I was sore and tired, and I would have liked nothing more than to just curl up into a ball and fall asleep. But, I couldn't, which I knew full well. I changed, and Madame Pomfrey came to get me. Just like last time. This could grow wearisome, I thought to myself. I've only had two full moons and already I was tired of it.

Get used to it, a voice in my head said. You'll have to deal with this for the rest of your life. And with that lovely thought, I fell asleep in my warm bed, too tired to even change into my nightgown.


	10. Chapter 10

Dumbledore was right. After wandering the halls of Hogwarts for only a little more than a week, I knew where everything was. Of course, that was _all_ I did for a little more than a week. A couple nights ago, I met all the teachers, and they seemed friendly enough. Once I had let slip that Potions was one of my favorite subjects, the Potions teacher, Professor Slughorn, couldn't get enough of me. He talked to me nonstop for the rest of the evening. Professor McGonagall seemed pretty strict, but she was nice once you got to know her. The Charms professor was pretty friendly, but a little quiet. The gamekeeper, who immediately told me I could call him Hagrid, pulled me into a big bear hug the second he met me, and I knew we would get along quite well.

My summer days couldn't have been better. I spent hours in the library reading, or talking to the teachers, or taking a walk outside by the lake. Sure it would've been nice to have a friend my own age to hang out with, and sure, I was growing nervous about which House I would be Sorted into, but for now, I was a care-free sixteen year old just enjoying her summer.

I didn't know which House I wanted to be Sorted into. I was pretty sure I didn't want to be a Hufflepuff, because they seemed a little bit like pushovers to me, but other than that, I had no clue. Slytherin's Head of House was Professor Slughorn, so he really wanted me to be Sorted into his House. My father was a Ravenclaw when he was here, so there was a possibility of me getting into that House because I do so well with school. Gryffindor sounded pretty cool, so I wouldn't have a problem being Sorted there, either. I guess I'd just have to wait and see.

It was the first of September. I was nervous yet excited at the same time. The students and my soon-to-be classmates would be arriving in about an hour. I wondered what they would think when the students saw me towering over the eleven year olds. I had packed up my room earlier today. I was sad to leave the privacy of it, but glad that I would be joining other people my own age now.

I went down to the Great Hall and met up with Dumbledore, who was talking to Professor McGonagall. They greeted me, and McGonagall said, "Don't worry, Miss Bell. All you do is come up and put the Sorting Hat on. I'll save you the embarrassment of having to sit on the little stool. You can stand if you want."

"Yes, that would be good." I smiled. I pushed my nervousness to the back of my mind because it was foolish for me to be nervous at all. I chose this! And besides, there's nothing to be nervous about anyway; they were just kids, and I already knew the teachers.

Suddenly, I heard talking. Lots of talking. They had arrived. This was it. The plan was that I was going to step out into one of the corridors that led from the Great Hall before any of the students got seated. From the corridor, I would go to the back of where the First Years were. I would wait in the hall until after I heard Dumbledore call me in. Then I would be Sorted.

I heard people start to come into the Great Hall. I stepped out into the corridor, and started walking to where the First Years were. They were all talking excitedly, and they didn't notice me. I wasn't surprised, however. Then, Professor McGonagall came out and started talking to the First Years, explaining what was going to happen. They all left, and I was alone.

I was able to hear easily through the doors. I heard the students get Sorted, and then I heard Dumbledore start talking.

"Welcome, everyone, welcome. I'm glad to see all of you. Now, before we dig in to our excellent feast, we have one more student to be Sorted. She will reside in the Sixth Years dormitories, and will have classes with the sixth Years. I expect everyone to be polite and welcoming to your new classmate. Let us welcome Juliet Bell!" Could he have announced it in a more flamboyant way? It's like he was a talk show host, but that was Dumbledore for you. I pushed my hair behind my shoulder, took a deep breath, and opened the doors.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes met mine. I walked swiftly with my head held high down the aisle towards Professor McGonagall. I passed a group of boys, and I recognized the four boys I had met in June. I suddenly remembered the light brown haired boy, and how I knew he wasn't going to forget me. I wondered if I had been right about my assumption. I met the eyes of the young man-for he couldn't be called a boy anymore- I was right. As he stared at me, his eyes widened in confusion, as if he could sense something about me. It unnerved me a little.

"There you are dear," McGonagall said kindly once I reached her. I tried not to pay attention to everyone's stares. I smiled at her, and turned to face the crowd. It was almost completely silent, except for a few whispers here and there. McGonagall plopped the wizard's hat onto my head, and a whisper different from those of the students startled me. It seemed to be coming from inside the hat.

"A little late, my dear, aren't we?" the voice said. He continued without a response. "Well, you have plenty of talent; that much is for sure. And bravery. Oh, yes, a strong sense of protection for those you care about. But you are certainly very clever…where to put you? I see! GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled the last word to the crowd, and a table all the way to my left screamed with cheers and claps. I was pleased with the hat's decision, and before going down to sit with my House, I looked back at Dumbledore, who beamed. I then remembered that Dumbledore had also been in Gryffindor when he was a student here.

I made my way to the table, wondering where to sit. It was very crowded already. A girl with brown curly hair beckoned me over with a frantic hand. I smiled and walked over, trying to make my stride look easy and confident.

"Sit here, sit here!" She said, and she moved over so I had room. "My name's Annie, and this is Mary, and that's Lily!" I smiled at everyone, and said hello. Annie was petite with brown eyes, but her curly hair made up for the height thing. She was someone you liked immediately, and couldn't help smiling around. Sophie seemed quiet, but very friendly, and had long, black straight hair and blue eyes. Lily seemed like the kind of person you could trust with anything, and she had bright green eyes and long red hair.

Annie started a conversation immediately. "So, are you some kind of transfer student, or what? Where've you been these last years?" She was kind of overwhelmingly enthusiastic. I paused, while I thought about exactly what I should say.

"You certainly have a way of putting things, Annie," Lily said with a laugh. "Give her some space, she's probably nervous!"

I was glad for the change of subject, however slight. "Ha! Me? Nervous? Don't make me laugh," I laughed, contrary to my last statement, and they laughed along with me.

I remembered how Dumbledore and I had spoken of what I would tell my classmates; we both agreed that it was a good idea to say I had transferred from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France, as some people would not like the fact that I was not very friendly with that evil guy who calls himself Voldemort.

"Actually," I said, taking a huge bite of some bread that had a copious amount of butter on it, "I'm a transfer from Beauxbatons. I was originally born in England, but when I was ten my parents moved to France due to my dad's job transfer, and they decided it would be best for me to go to the closest school." My new friends nodded, as if this made perfect sense. I sighed internally. Now, I just had to make sure no one found out about the lie.

Not a moment had passed after I had thought this that a boy looked directly over at me from the Slytherin table. He had a dark curtain of hair that almost covered his coal black eyes. His face was expressionless as he continued to stare. It almost seemed as if he had heard everything I had said-which was impossible, as I was way too far away for him to have heard me-and it also seemed like he hadn't believed one word of it.

Lily noticed me staring. She looked back, and saw who I was looking at.

"Don't mind him. That's Severus. He's usually like that. We used to be friends, but…" She trailed off sadly. I reached over comfortingly, even though I barely knew her.

"It's fine. You don't have to explain." I said. She nodded gratefully, and we went back to what we were talking about before. No one noticed a thing.

"Wow, this food is great!"I said, changing the subject once again. I had piles of food on not one, but two plates, and I was a little flustered. I didn't know where to start.

"Whoa, slow down, girl; you're going to make yourself sick," said Mary half jockingly, half serious.

"Don't worry, you'll soon find out that I eat like this all the time. My mother claims that I am a bottomless pit who has an evil plot to spend her every pound on food." I laughed.

Annie said, "Your mom sounds really cool, actually. MY mom is so embarrassing! It's unbelievable!"

"Annie, I think every kid thinks that their parents are embarrassing." Lily said.

I was content with my new friends. The feast was excellent, and I could tell I was going to enjoy my year.

Finally, the feast was over, and as we were walking back to the common room, I was bombarded by four boys. Of course, they were the ones that I just seemed to continue running into.

"I'm James!" The boy with the untidy mop of black hair said excitedly. He reminded me of a little boy at a toy shop. He bowed gallantly, and I could see Lily scowl slightly from the corner of my eye. I would have to ask her about that later. The boy with long black hair stepped in front of me, and it was obvious he was gorgeous. He had the easy air of boys that had many girls chasing after him. However, I was not one to swoon foolishly over boys just because of their (obvious) good looks and charm.

"Sirius Black, at your service, my lady." He smiled, and took my hand and kissed it. He looked up, as if to see my reaction, and I pulled my hand free of his.

"I'll bet you are. Do you use that trick on all the girls?" I asked with a smirk. "I want you to know that I'm not like all the other 'ladies' here, Mr. Black. There won't be any swooning coming from me." The other boys roared with laughter, and I felt triumphant at the look of confusion on Sirius' face.

As he tried to regain his composure, I looked to the other two boys. The short, sandy haired boy blushed at my gaze, and mumbled a quiet "Peter," and looked away. I smiled at him, and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Peter." This boy seemed to have some confidence issues, and I would enjoy trying to help him come out of his shell.

"I'm Remus," the last boy spoke for the first time, and I felt my eyes being pulled as if by magnets to his. His eyes were a deep brown, and they seemed to go on forever. I cleared my throat as I said, "Juliet. But you already knew that didn't you?" He smiled slightly. Suddenly, I caught the smell of something familiar. I stiffened, knowing full well what the smell was. I had smelled it coming from my own robes after a full moon. It was the scent of a werewolf. And it was coming from Remus.

Remus' reaction was much the same and we stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity. Everyone continued chatting amiably, and no one noticed a thing. Finally, I spoke.

"I think you and I are both more than shocked about a personal, _private_ matter that should stay personal and private. Would you like to take this to a more private environment?" I murmured, hoping no one would notice our absence. Remus nodded in dazed agreement. We walked swiftly down a corridor, and another. I led him to an empty classroom.

"How did you know how to get here?" He asked as soon as the door was shut.

"Out of all the things to ask or say, and you ask me how I _happened_ upon an empty classroom?" I was trying to concentrate. Out of all the conversations I've had with Dumbledore, he had never mentioned _another_ werewolf here at Hogwarts, especially one in my own class. How could he forget such an important detail?

"I'm sorry. I'm just…surprised. You…are a werewolf, right?" He said this cautiously, as if he hoped to God he wasn't wrong. I knew how he felt. If the school found out about our affliction, we would probably have to leave Hogwarts.

"Yes, I am a werewolf. No one is supposed to know. You obviously know this. You're the only classmate that is aware of my being a werewolf, and I'm hoping it stays that way," I said with a hint of a warning in my voice. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to search his face to give me a clue as to what he was thinking.

"Why didn't Dumbledore tell me? And, why did you really come here, then?" Remus asked. That boy was just full of questions.

"I'm sure there are a lot of things Dumbledore doesn't tell you. You _are_ just a student, after all. And besides, that man is full of mysteries-he probably wanted us to figure it out for ourselves. I just don't think he thought we'd figure it out so soon. And we probably wouldn't have, if not for the unmistakable scent of werewolf coming off you." I smirked at him.

"Hey, it was coming from you, too. And how can you be so. . ._uncaring_ about what's happening? Aren't you just the least bit shocked?" Remus' brow was furrowed in confusion, as if I was some book in a foreign language that he could not understand.

"Remus, if you think for a moment you're going to survive in the outside world-especially _now_- without keeping your emotions to yourself, well, then you're sorely mistaken. That's how people take advantage of you. Plus, I just find this a bit funny. Of all the people to meet at Hogwarts, I meet another werewolf in my own year. It's just…funny." I smirked again.

Remus seemed like the kind of person who took things a little too seriously in life. I hoped to change that. He then spoke again, saying, "I don't find my-our-affliction funny at all! Rather, I find it just a little bit depressing!" He took a deep breath.

"Remus, calm yourself. You've got to learn to lighten up a bit. What's happened has happened, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Got it?"

"You sound like Sirius, he's always telling me I need to lighten up about my furry little problem, as James says," Remus replied, grinning a little.

"Wait, how many people have you told exactly? About your 'furry little problem'? I asked, raising an eyebrow deftly.

"Just James and Sirius and Peter. And of course, all the teachers know. I'm guessing they know about you, as well?" I nodded.

"Oh," Remus said, as an afterthought, "There's also one other student who knows, that let's just say isn't exactly a friend. But I know he won't be telling anyone anytime soon. Dumbledore made him swear to it."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Who?" I didn't want any trouble, and I needed to know who to stay away from. I didn't want to hurt them in a fight. I grinned at the thought.

"A boy in our year, Severus Snape. You might have seen him. Long black hair, keeps to himself for the most part, scowls a lot." Remus replied.

Ah, yes. There was something peculiar going on with this boy, and he seemed like someone important. I disregarded my plan to stay away from him, and made a mental note to talk to him in the future.

"Yeah, I saw him. He and Lily had a sort of falling out, didn't they?"

Remus' face darkened. "Yes, Severus called her the 'M' word." He looked at my expression, waiting for shock or disgust or anger.

My face, however was blank. "The 'M' word? What do you mean?"

Now Remus had the shocked expression. "How can you not know what the 'M' word is? Everyone knows! I learned it my first year here at Hogwarts. And you've been going to a school like Hogwarts for five year!" Suspicion clouded his face.

"Okay, you are a really suspicious guy. Just tell me the word!" I said exasperatedly.

Remus glanced around him as if to make sure no one else was in the deserted classroom. He lowered his voice, "It's a word used to describe someone of 'lesser' blood. People that aren't born as a full wizard. It's completely stupid if you ask me, the whole blood status feud was designed to make the people who have 'pure' blood feel better about themselves. Anyway, the word is…Mudblood. And it is one of the worst things you could say to someone who has Muggles for parents. It's awful."

I lowered my voice as well. "And Severus said that to Lily? Well, that's just terrible. I mean, if someone were to say that to me, I would definitely not be hanging around them at all, but I don't tend to let words hurt me. Lily shouldn't let someone stupid hurt her feelings like that."

Remus shook his head. "You don't get it, Juliet. Snape and Lily, well, they were best friends."

Understanding sunk in, and I felt pity for my redheaded friend. "Oh, poor Lily…" I trailed off.

"Don't worry, she's recovered now. But, let's stop talking about that, and start talking about why you always have a knack for changing the subject when I ask you about your real story for coming to Hogwarts?"

I grinned at this werewolf in front of me. He was very stubborn, like myself. "You know, Remus," I said, putting my arm around his shoulders and walking him toward the doorway, "I think you and I are going to be good friends." My smile widened at the look of indignation and disbelief on his face as we made our way to the common room.

**A/N: I'm sorry this has taken so long, guys! I will probably be writing more now that summer is over. Speaking of which, I had an awesome summer, how bout you guys? Reviews make me haaaaapppppyyyy:)**


	11. Chapter 11

The night with my new friends had gone well. Remus tried being mad at me for a total of three minutes, which I thought was extremely funny. He finally gave up when I continued poking him, and he just sighed in exasperation and laughed.

Sirius continued to try to flirt with me, and when he saw that wasn't working, he went for a "serious" tactic. It completely failed, and he went back to being playful and yes, you guessed it, flirty.

James is quite the prankster I must admit, and I have decided to get together sometime and plan a prank on some poor innocent bystander, which we all know is always fun.

I am not completely sure if Lily approved of my friendship with the boys- not counting Remus, who she seems to like- but I plan on getting her to like these guys, and appreciate their, er, humor, per se.

I found out within ten minutes that James is absolutely and positively in love with Lily. I also found out the reason for Lily's scowling earlier in the evening. Apparently, James has been trying to go out with Lily for _ages_, but she just always turned him down. That is, until last week, when she finally agreed to go out with him, just to, as James put it, "see how it went, and to see if they were 'compatible in any way.'"

I thought James would be a perfect match for Lily, because while she was always up for a good laugh, she seemed a little serious, and James would be the perfect thing to keep her always smiling, even if she couldn't see it now.

The other girls I had met at dinner drifted off to see other friends, and I spent most of the night with Lily and the boys. I don't know why, but it had always been easier for me to make friends with guys than girls.

I welcomed sleep gratefully at around midnight, and before I knew it, it was time to get up and get ready for the school day. I groaned as a pillow hit my face- I had absolutely no idea who threw it though. I got up and made my way for the showers, and a half an hour later, I walked with Lily down to the common room.

Only Remus was there, and he stood from the chair he was sitting in as we approached.

"Good morning, you two, I was just about to go down for breakfast. James, Sirius, and Peter have already gone down, naturally." Remus rolled his eyes. There. Now, see, was that so hard? I liked this non-suspicious, sarcastic, funny Remus better than the worried one I had met last night.

As we made our way down to the Great Hall, Remus whispered to me, "Hey, Juliet, I was wondering, after classes are done for the day, maybe you and I should go and talk to Professor Dumbledore about some…things…"

I contemplated this for a moment. No doubt Remus would also try to figure out my real story, but the thing was, could I trust him? He seemed perfectly trustworthy, but if he had let slip to three-no four- people about his affliction already, I wasn't sure I wanted him to know everything about me. But, then again, I reasoned, he already knows about my affliction, so there's not much left to lose besides my real story, if he _does_ decide to tell the school about my secret.

Remus saw my hesitation, and he smiled. "You _can_ trust me you know. And if it's any consolation, if I tell your secret, you can tell mine." I smiled, and nodded in consent.

Lily, who was a few paces ahead of us, turned around and smirked at us. "Come on, you two, stop flirting, I'm hungry!"

Remus' cheeks reddened, and he protested indignantly. I laughed, and grabbed Remus' hand, and skipped towards the doors of the Great Hall, tugging him along.

"Let's go, my furry little rabbit, let's make an entrance!" I threw my head back and laughed again at Remus' expression. If possible, his face got even redder.

We entered the Great Hall, me skipping and still holding Remus' hand, Remus walking quickly with his head down, and Lily slightly behind us, laughing hysterically at Remus' situation.

People's heads turned as we entered, and whispers broke out. Some of the onlookers were none other than my dear friends Sirius and James. James whistled, and Sirius had a mix of outrage and pride on his face as he saw what was happening before him. I plopped down next to him, and smiled sweetly in his direction.

"Something wrong, Sirius darling?" I said, whose eyes were still locked on Remus. His eyes snapped towards me, but then just as quickly, back to Remus.

"How'd you do it, mate? Even _I _couldn't win her over, which is saying something! I mean, no offense to you, or anything…but still!" I just shook my ahead; I would have to teach this boy some manners before the end of the year was here.

"I haven't won _anyone_ over, Sirius," said Remus, who's cheeks still had a pink tinge to them. "Our new friend here likes to attract unwanted attention to herself and the others around her. Because God knows we needed another one of _those_ in our group," he finished sarcastically, but with a slight smile on his face.

"Oh, come on you guys, you know you love me! See, even Lily thought it was pretty funny! Right, Lily?"

Lily smirked a little, and said, "I just want one morning, _one_, that goes without interruption or a big scene. But will I get that? No. So, I have to accept that fact, and admit, that yes, it was pretty hilarious." I smiled triumphantly. If this was any indication of how my daily life would be here, then I could tell already I was going to enjoy it immensely.

The day flew by, and I got a lot of homework, but nothing too bad. I still felt like learning magic was a hobby, and it just never got old. Fortunately, I had my last class with Remus, so I didn't have to worry about searching for him after class so we could go have that chat with Dumbledore.

"Ready?" I asked, and we made our way towards Dumbledore's office. I knocked, and Dumbledore's voice responded with an "Enter."

I pushed the door open, and upon seeing me and Remus together, Dumbledore's smile widened incredibly. "My, my, that was fast. But then again, after this summer, I expected no less from you, Miss Bell." I smiled politely, while Remus frowned.

"Pardon me, sir, but do you think you could tell me what's going on? I know about Juliet and I's shared…problem, but other than that, Juliet refused to tell me anything." Remus gave a pointed look in my direction.

Dumbledore chuckled and I said, "Well, I figured I'd leave the explaining up to you, sir." I pushed my hair behind my shoulder, and took a seat in the same seat I sat in the first time I ever met the old headmaster.

"As you have already guessed, Mr. Lupin, Miss Bell shares the same affliction as you do, much due to the same reasons. However, she has only had this problem for a short amount of time. Earlier this year, her father, a very capable wizard who turned away from magic so as not to get involved in the inevitable war coming, was asked to join Voldemort's ranks. Naturally, Mr. Bell turned down this offer. And well, I think you know what happens from here." Dumbledore's face looked very grave. Remus, on the other hand, had gone pale; remembering his past, or imagining mine, I wasn't sure.

Dumbledore continued. "As I said, Juliet's father turned away from magic. This meant that Miss Bell was kept from knowing the truth for her own safety. But, after the events that caused her to have an unwanted problem, her parents decided that it would be safer for her to be at Hogwarts. And as she had no magical education up until this point, she had to come to Hogwart's over the summer, and with a lot of grueling hard work and much effort on Miss Bell's behalf, she caught up to her classmates in sixth year." I beamed at Dumbledore's praise.

"So…" Remus was processing everything, "So, is that why I saw her coming in with a man, who I'm guessing was her father at the end of last year?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Hmm, I suppose I was wrong in assuming no one would notice you entering the castle, Miss Bell."

"Well, how could I not notice, I mean I surely would've noticed her before if she-" Remus broke off, embarrassed once more. I grinned widely, understanding what he had said, or should I say, _almost_ said, if he hadn't caught himself in time. Dumbledore pretended as if he hadn't noticed the slip.

"Oh my, look at the time. You two had best be getting to your common room. Good evening."

And with that abrupt dismissal, we left and made our way back to the common room in somewhat awkward silence. I broke it suddenly.

"You know you can't tell anyone that. What happened, I mean." I looked at him intensely, to see his reaction.

He was surprised. "Of course I won't tell anyone. It could get you hurt. It's no secret that there are Voldemort-follower wannabees here, and if they knew you weren't a friend of the "Dark Lord" as they call him, that would not be very good for you."

"Thanks Remus," I said. "For everything. Especially for being such a good friend to someone you hardly know." We had stopped walking, and I gave him a hug. He stiffened at first, but then he relaxed.

As he pulled away, he said, "It's nothing. That's what we Gryffindors do." We both smiled, and finished our walk to the common room.

Little did I know that someone had been listening to me and Remus talking…

Someone I wouldn't exactly say was a friend.


	12. Chapter 12

The next two weeks went by without any problems. I grew steadily closer to my new friends, and especially Remus. I felt like I had known him forever, and if I had a problem, he and I would work it out. Lily and I were also very close, and she felt like a sister to me. James and Sirius were just, well, James and Sirius. That says enough in itself.

It was Friday, and I was excited for this weekend, because it was the first trip to Hogsmeade, which was supposedly a great time. I had gotten a list of places to go from James and Sirius. I grinned when I saw the Shrieking Shack on the list.

"The Shrieking Shack?" I raised an eyebrow neatly, feigning confusion.

The two boys nodded their heads enigmatically. "It's supposed to be haunted!" James said. Sirius looked at James, and they both smirked, thinking they shared some kind of secret that I couldn't know. Oh, if they only knew.

Remus had told me three nights ago that James, Sirius, and Peter were all Animagus'. He had decided he had to tell me, due to the fact that we would be sharing the Shrieking Shack from now on. He felt terrible for telling his friends' secret, but he knew it was necessary. We had also decided that maybe they shouldn't be present for our first transformation together, as we both had no idea what would happen.

Finally, their smug and not at all covert glances at each other became too much to bear, and I decided to put them out of their misery, and called, "Oy, Remus, come over here!" Remus looked up from his armchair that he was sitting on, and placed his book down on a coffee table.

"Yeah?" He asked, once he reached us.

"Perhaps we should put these guys out of their misery, and let them know what's going on?" I loved the looks of confusion Sirius and James were shooting the both of us.

"Now? Here?" Remus was quite the articulate one today.

"Why not? Now's as good a time as any. And they're going to need to know any day now, as something important is approaching, if you catch my drift."

James was the first one to break. "Will someone please tell me what the _hell_ is going on here?"

Sirius nodded. "I second that."

I just laughed. They were almost as impatient as me. "Alright, so, you know how we were just talking about the Shrieking Shack?" They nodded.

"And you know how you two exchanged really obnoxious secretive glances, as if you knew something I didn't?" James had enough sense to look slightly guilty; Sirius just smirked.

"Well we _do-_"

"Sirius. Shush. You don't know the half of it. So, as I was saying, the Shrieking Shack. I just wanted to let you guys know you won't be joining me or Remus this month."

Silence. Then-

"What the hell Remus? You told her?" That was Sirius.

"Why won't we be with you and Remus this month? Wait, you _and_ Remus?" James said, his brow furrowed intensely.

Remus and I looked at each other, and in that one glance, we both toppled over laughing. I am proud to say that since I had met Remus I had gotten him to lose some of the resentment he had been carrying about his affliction. I had gotten him to accept it a little more.

After a moment, and we both had caught our breath, Sirius spoke.

"So let me guess this straight. You have a furry little problem, too Juliet?" He asked incredulously.

I nodded. "But I haven't been as long as Remus- that's why I came to Hogwarts."

James said, "But if you were at Beauxbatons, then why weren't you safe there?"

Remus and I glanced at each other. I already didn't like the fact that one person knew my story, even if it was Remus. He took over for me.

"Look, all you guys need to know is, yes, Juliet is like me. And no, you're not going with us in a couple days. It's nothing against you guys," he continued as Sirius started to protest. "It's just we don't know what's going to happen, so we want to wait until the second month for you guys to join us."

Finally, James and Sirius gave in. The was silence for a moment, and then James clapped Remus on the back. "So, how about a game of chess, old boy? Unless, you know, you're not up to it." Sirius whistled slowly, as if this was the most intense moment of his life.

I rolled my eyes, laughed, and said, "Remus, that sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one. You better accept." Remus met my eyes, and I smiled sweetly. "Unless…..you know… you're not up to it." I echoed James previous statement with an airy flare. Sometimes, I even impress myself with my antagonistic ways.

Remus accepted.

About an hour later, I sat comfily on one of the plush armchairs, my legs dangling over one of the arms, reading a riveting novel I had gotten from the library. I saw a flash of red in the corner of my eye, and I Iooked up as Lily plopped herself down on the loveseat next to me. "Hey," she said, breathless, her hair disheveled.

"What've you been up to?" I asked, confused at Lily's appearance. Sweat glistened on her forehead, and a grin was breaking out on my peculiar friend's face. "Oh…" she laughed. "It's nothing, really. Sometimes, if I'm walking alone up to the common room, I test myself, and see how fast I can run up here. And guess what, I even broke my record today!" She beamed proudly.

My brow furrowed, and she protested, "Hey, don't look at me that way! I get bored sometimes, especially just walking up all those stairs. You gotta find ways to liven up the day sometimes!" I just looked on at her, until grunting from the other side of the room made the both of us look up from our conversation.

It seemed as if there was some kind of tousling going on. Lily and I stood up, and walked over to the scene of the crime. And, as I should've expected, Remus and James were wrestling on the ground. I caught little snippets from Remus. "You-cheat!" Then James, "You just-can't handle-awesomeness!"

Just as I was about to say something, I was pushed out of the way by a sprinting Sirius. I cried out a useless "No!" as I realized what he was doing. After pushing past me and countless other people, Sirius jumped over a chair, ran across a coffee table, and dove into the air and onto the still wrestling Remus and James.

And that's about all I could stand of these boys. Lily and I turned toward each other, sighed, and headed back toward our couches.

I have strange friends.


	13. Chapter 13

It was time. Time to endure my third transformation. As much as I detested the change and the unwanted pain it brought, I took comfort in the fact that I wouldn't be doing it alone this time. Remus would be going through the same thing, and I was glad that we could both be there to support each other. As much as I appreciated my parents and the teachers, it just wasn't the same as Remus, because they could only sympathize, whereas Remus could most definitely empathize.

I stood outside of the Entrance Hall, and gazed at my surroundings, as I casually (and pretty coolly, I might add) leaned against the building with my arms folded across my chest. The sun was setting, and it was casting its last rays of sunlight over the edge of the Forbidden Forest, which I had yet to venture into.

I heard the door close behind me, and then felt Madame Pomfrey's hand on my shoulder. I looked back, and she smiled slightly. "All right, dear? Remus should be down in a moment, so we'll just wait here for him." I merely nodded, and continued gazing into the sunset.

For the second time, I heard the door open and close. I stood up straight, and said, "Let's get this party started." I chuckled lightly at my own humor, but Remus and Madame Pomfrey just grimaced. Gosh. Could these two ever lighten up?

As we started across the lawn, Madame Pomfrey spoke. "So, Professor Dumbledore has told me to ask you two not to tousle each other up too badly. While it may only feel like playing at that time, you will be sorer than you already are after your usual transformation. And, well, I guess, all that's left to say is, goodnight, and I'll see you two in the morning." With one last glance, the nurse hurried back toward the castle.

I scoffed as soon as she was out of hearing range. "Be careful not to tousle each other up too badly," I mimicked in a high pitched voice. Remus gave me a reproachful glance.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Remus. This could be fun! I mean, besides the pain, and everything. I bet I could beat you at a wrestling match." I said humorously, glancing at my friend.

Remus looked at me and said, "Juliet! Don't you get it? I could hurt you! What if I get mad for some stupid reason, and something happens? I could never live with myself. I mean, at least with James and Sirius and Peter…well, it was different with them!" He ran a hand through his already tousled hair. I sighed. I decided not to give any comment to his last remark about James and Sirius.

"Okay, Remus. Do you really think that Dumbledore would have let us in the same house together if there was even a slight chance of us killing each other? I don't think so. And why is it you're always the one hurting me? I _told _you; I could totally beat you in a wrestling match." I smirked. Remus looked at me again, and finally, he gave in, and laughed. "Is that a challenge?"

"See? There's the Remus I know and like. Let's keep it that way. And yes, yes it is a challenge. Now let's go." I grabbed his hand, and walked toward the Whomping Willow. I looked back, and couldn't help but notice the blush in Remus' cheeks. I looked forward again before grinning.

We made it to the Shrieking Shack just in time. I could feel myself slipping closer towards the transformation by the second. I gave Remus a quick hug, and quickly said, "I think we should go in separate rooms first." He gave a curt nod, and I scurried into one of the closest rooms.

As I changed into my wolf form, a small cry tore from my lips. It's funny how sometimes you can forget just how badly something hurts until it happens to you again. After I was fully changed, I took off into the other room where Remus was. I grunted in a friendly way when I saw my friend. At least, I thought it was friendly. Remus seemed to get the message, though, and loped over toward me. We tousled for a while, howling occasionally in a happy way, just glad that we didn't have to go through this night alone.

All night we ran through the house together, until we both collapsed out of exhaustion a couple hours before dawn. As I felt my painful return approaching that would turn me back into a human, I stumbled into a different room from Remus, so as to avoid any embarrassing moments in case either of our clothes were ripped in any of the wrong places. Lord knows _that_ would be more than awkward.

However, as I shakily stood up, grabbing the couch for support, my robes were surprisingly pretty intact. Of course, there were a few rips here and there, but nothing major. I knew I should go to see if Remus was doing okay, but I wanted to make sure he had enough time to look decent and… okay, I admit, the couch next to me was too tempting. I slowly lowered onto the soft cushions, my whole body aching. I finally dropped down the last few inches with a loud "Oomph!"

Just as my eyes started to droop, I heard a soft knock at the door. "Juliet?" Remus spoke quietly. With all my energy, I said, "Come in, I'm fine." The door creaked open, and Remus limped in, due to his soreness. I patted the spot next to me, "Have a seat." I smiled tiredly at him.

Remus looked worn, but also happy, which was always a good thing for him. He sat down, and started to say, "Madame Pomfrey should be here soon, and I-" But I couldn't last any longer, and my head drooped onto Remus' shoulder, and I fell promptly asleep.

It was now late October. The weather was just how I loved it: Crisp air, with a cool breeze, that let you knew there was a change coming. The thing I loved more than the weather, however, was the colors. I could walk the grounds of Hogwarts endlessly, and never get tired of looking at all the oranges, yellows, reds… Of course, it was harder to do that, with the school work piling on, so instead I would take a tablecloth outside and sit and do my homework until it was too dark to see my parchment anymore. Sometimes, a friend would join me, but I sincerely loved the time alone.

One particular night, it was a lot darker than usual. I packed up my items, and I was heading inside. Just as I reached the doors, a voice spoke quietly from within the darkness. I squinted, trying to make out the person. The voice drawled, "You know, I'd be careful if I were you. You wouldn't want the wrong people finding out dirty secrets about you so soon into the school year, now would we?" Severus Snape slowly stepped out from behind the cover of darkness.

I sighed. I could see it was going to be one of those nights. "Severus Snape, I presume?" I spoke politely, evenly. No need to provoke anything, we're just having a friendly chat, I told myself sternly.

Severus scoffed. "As if you don't know who I am. No doubt…your friends have told you all about me." He paused on the word friends, and we were both thinking of Lily.

I put my hands up in front of me, in the international sign of slowing someone down. "Whoa, you give yourself too much credit, my friend. Or, should I say, acquaintance. I wouldn't say we're at the friend stage…yet." I smirked, knowing it would bother him immensely at the prospect of being friends with me, best friend to the Marauders and Lily. All the time, I'm just slowly chanting in my head, "No need to provoke." Sometimes, I wish I would take my own advice.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think we'll be getting to that stage any time soon. I have enough friends as it is." Severus said indignantly. He stood a few feet away from me, his body positioned in a way so that he could make a run for it any time he needed to do so. I was more than a little confused as to why he even said anything at all, I mean, it didn't seem like he was in the mood to talk or argue or…even better, in my opinion, duel.

I raised an eyebrow, which had become my trademark recently. "Do you now?" I asked softly. "Because I don't really believe that, and honestly, I don't think you believe that, either, because you seem like a pretty intellectual guy, from what I've noticed from afar. Of course, I'm not trying to say I know you or anything like that. I don't. Just pointing out what I think." I finished with a slight shrug of the shoulders and a sigh. Severus' black eyes pored into my light ones, as he stayed quiet. Suddenly, I felt something push in my mind. It was odd, and definitely something I had never knowingly experienced before.

I recognized that Severus was trying to use Legilimency on me. I couldn't believe it. Here I am, trying to be nice to the guy, and this is what I get? Honestly, what do people need to do to earn a little respect here? I swiftly pushed him out of my mind, with my newly acquired, but still weak, skills of Occlumency. Yep, bet ya didn't see that one coming. I'm proud to say that this past month or so, I've been reading up on Occlumency and Legilimency, and teaching myself how to (sort of) block people out.

Severus' eyes widened. "…How?" I didn't let him finish. I pushed him against the side of the building, and pointed my wand at his neck. "Honestly, man? Is that _really_ necessary? Here I am, trying to be friendly, and this is what you pull? Is there no respect?" He glared at me, and I stared calmly back at this strange boy.

Finally, after a moment of silence, " I said, "Alright, if I let you go, do you think we'll be able to talk like actual human beings and not invade each others privacy? Can we both behave like mature adults, or is that not a possibility for you?" This time, I raised both eyebrows, as if this was an offer he'd be foolish to refuse. Of course, he would be pretty foolish if he refused it and tried to attack me. I mean, not meaning to _brag_ or anything, but I'm pretty smooth if I do say so myself.

Severus grunted in what I would like to assume was an affirmative answer, and I loosened my death grip on his collar and lowered my wand slowly. "There," I said nicely, "Was that so hard?" I looked at the raven-haired…acquaintance, and wondered once more what was going on through this kid's head. However, despite my friendly (at least, I thought I was being pretty friendly) attitude, Severus continued his glaring contest.

"Okay, do you have anything further to say to me, or are you just going to shoot daggers at me with your eyes for the rest of the night? I seriously would like to know why you seem to detest me, as you know nothing about me. And whatever your reason, it better have nothing to do with my house, because then I will have lost all respect for you." I know, I know. I was going out on a limb here, to think that Severus would care at all about my respect for him, but, surprisingly, he stopped glaring, and looked down at his shoes.

"I never said I detested you," he muttered. "It's just… I'm supposed to," he blurted out, eyes darting frantically around as if someone were going to jump up behind him and use the Killing Curse on him.

Interesting. I lowered my voice, "Would this, perhaps, have anything to do with the "friends" you mentioned earlier?" Severus glanced around a few more times, before giving a curt but very unnoticeable nod.

He continued to mutter. "I don't even know why I'm talking to you, telling you this. They would kill me if they knew. They probably do know, and they're waiting for a convenient time to do me in." For a moment, he lost the air of superiority, and all I saw was a scared kid who was getting too deep into the wrong crowd.

I had to think quickly about what to do with him. "Well," I said slowly, drawing the word out, "Let me ask you one question, and you don't have to answer me now. I just want you to think about it, and then get back to me later. Is your heart really in this? Do you believe in what you're even supporting? Do you know what kind of consequences your actions could have on the world, if you do or don't choose the right side in this fight?" I drew in a deep breath, and slowly backed away from Severus, and back towards the entrance.

As I turned around, he called out to me once more. "That was more than one question, Juliet." I turned back to him slightly, smiled and said, "Yes, I suppose it was. Forgive me?" I asked. Before waiting for a response, I strolled silently into the school.

Crap. Crapcrapcrap. I'm so dead. Im so going to get caught out of bed after hours. Damn that Severus and choosing the worst time to try to confront me. Because that's exactly what I need right now. A bunch of detentions to add to my growing list of things to do. Sigh.

I scrambled as quietly as I could across the hall towards the stairs, taking care to keep close to the walls so I could take cover in the shadows. Then, I stubbed my toe on….well, nothing. Huh. All I know was it hurt badly. I grabbed my foot, while swaying awkwardly on my other foot, and rubbed the injurered toe. Then, I heard hysterical laughter, and another person shushing the person laughing.

"I'm so confused…" I breathed quietly to myself, as my eyes flickered all around the room, looking for these invisible people. I found nothing out of place, and I definitely did not see anyone around.

"Well stop being confused and get under cover!" One of the voices whispered again. My head swiveled in the direction of the voice, yet I still couldn't see anyone. Then, out of the blue, a pair of hands grabbed me by my waist and dragged me backward. I don't think I've ever gasped so loudly in my life.

"Hah! Gotcha," said Sirius. "And now that I've saved you from a fate worse than death, maybe you could repay me with a kiss!" Sirius puckered his lips and made kissy noises. The other boy, who I now saw was Remus, frowned intensely. I gave Sirius' shoulder a shove, and stepped away.

"Yeah, I think youd like that a little too much, Sirius. However, I'm a little too afraid of your doggy breath," I replied quickly, smirking at my own (only slightly lame) pun. Remus, on the contrary, thought it was pretty funny, and chuckled for a moment. Sirius just pouted.

"You hurt me so, Juliet, really."

"Aw, shove it," I replied, as we walked slowly across the hall, trying to make it so none of our feet escaped from out of the cloak. "What are you guys doing down here anyway?" I asked suspiciously.

Remus looked away, which immediately indicated he was guilty of something, and Sirius puffed up his chest and grinned, which also indicated he was guilty of something. I stopped walking and tapped my foot. "Well?" I asked pointedly.

Remus finally spoke in a defensive tone. "Well… Sirius, James, Peter, and I were _really_ hungry, so we were going to go down to the kitchens to get a late night snack."

I arranged my face into a shocked expression. "Remus Lupin, a _Prefect,_ out of bed after hours for a snack? Tsk, tsk." I shook my head in a disappointed manner. Then, when I couldn't take it anymore, laughed, and said, "Alright, I'm starved, too. Let's go."

The look of relief on Remus' face and the look of newfound respect on Sirius' face were priceless.


	14. Chapter 14

My breath fogged in front of my face as I quickened my pace towards the castle. My boots crunched easily through the light snow, which was compacted into the pathways. It was very bitterly cold today, and I seriously wanted to get inside and have a cup of hot chocolate.

It was the Christmas holidays, and Hogwarts seemed abandoned, but it also seemed more peaceful in a weird melancholy way. I decided to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas this year, because I figured I only had two more chances to see the castle at Christmas time, and the empty school reminded me of my early days of learning. Lily and Sirius also stayed, but Remus, James, and Peter all went home to their families, along with almost everyone in Gryffindor. I had also noticed that Severus had stayed at school during our break, and it made me wonder even more about him and his history.

I hadn't spoken to him at all since that October night, unless you count the occasional nod, or maybe even a "Hello" in the hallway. However, I wasn't finished with this boy, and had made a vow that before the end of the year, I would have figured out some of that intricate puzzle that is Severus Snape.

My relationship with Remus had grown deeper, and I knew we were going to have to do something about it at some point. I knew I liked him, and I was definitely getting those same sorts of vibes from him to me as well. Yet I wanted to be absolutely and positively sure before I decided to do anything drastic. Which, I know, isn't exactly me, but I just seriously wanted to deal with as little drama in that aspect of my life as possible. Hmm… this actually may be the one element of my life that I'm cautious in.

As I was about to step into the Great Hall, Lily came running down the stairs. "Juliet, are you going to get hot chocolate?" Before I even nodded, Lily had a hold of my arm and was dragging me up the stairs. It seemed as if this was always happening to me.

"Lily, what are you _doing?_ I must. Get. Hot. Chocolate!" I was still freezing from my walk outside, and my ears had already started to get that scratchy feeling from when you step into a warm place from a very cold place. I knew they were probably at some varying stage of red.

Lily just kept tugging at my arm, all the way to the common room. As she pushed me inside, I started to turn around, until my awesome sense of smell kicked in, and I got a wiff of some delicious smelling cookies and hot chocolate. I bolted towards the smell.

And stopped in my tracks.

There was Sirius, in the frilliest, laciest, _pinkest_ apron I'd ever seen in my life.

And what's even more amazing is the fact that he didn't even look sullen in the least, which would be understandable, as I can imagine this as some sort of bet he'd lost or something. But no. There he was, smiling hugely in his apron, looking absolutely _radiant_.

I had many things I could say, but I couldn't even seem to form the words. All that came out was, "Uhhhhh…" Lily walked up behind me, laughing hysterically, clutching her stomach. She managed to say, "That-was-exactly-my-reaction!" And then she continued her guffaws. I waited as patiently as I could. And we all know me and patience. It lasted about three seconds.

"So, is anyone going to tell me what exactly is going on here?" I looked between Lily and Sirius. Lily finally calmed down enough, and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure at this point, all I know is that I came into the common room, and there Sirius was, apron and all, taking a batch of cookies out of the oven, and a pot of hot chocolate was cooking on the stove." I looked at her in confusion. It was then that I noticed an actual oven behind Sirius, with a pot of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies on the stove.

I looked at Sirius, who was still beaming. "…Uh, Sirius, darling? Are you feeling alright? Should we be concerned? I can go get Madame Pomfrey if you'd like…" Sirius shook his head, or should I say wagged it. I never get tired of the dog jokes.

Then, he skipped toward Lily and I. "I'm feeling absolutely_ chipper._ I just _loveeeee_ the holiday season! It's my absolute favorite time of the year." His smile, if possible, widened further.

I contemplated this for a moment, shrugged, and said, "Well… Okay! Pour me a mug of cocoa!" The smells coming from the pot were tantalizing.

Sirius saluted me, and turned around to pour me some hot chocolate, and as I tasted it, I realized it was actually the best hot chocolate I had ever tasted. Which was surprising, you know, for Sirius.

"Wow, this is actually delicious!" I said in a shocked tone.

Sirius puffed his chest up proudly. "It's an old family recipe, one of the only good things about my family. I perfected it when I was ten."

Lily, who had been watching the situation unfold, was just sitting with a bemused look on her face. Then, she shrugged as well, and poured herself some of the drink.

I learned more and more about my friends each day.

A couple days later, I decided to go to the library and find a good book and a quiet nook to read for a few hours alone. As I was strolling slowly down the aisles and aisles of books, I didn't notice that someone else was in the same section as me. And me, being totally immersed in the book titles, bumped right into them like a loser.

"Oomph! Oh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention." I looked up through my hair, which had fallen in front of my face. As I pushed it away, I noticed the student I had strolled right into was none other than Severus Snape.

Severus looked shocked for a second, but then regained his composure. "Do watch where you're going, Bell. You might hurt someone." My eyes narrowed, but then I saw his smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. It's not my fault I can be really clumsy at times. And besides, when I'm looking for a good book- and when I'm reading, for that matter, I always zone everything else around me out."

Severus nodded and said softly, "For me as well. It's when I escape." My brow furrowed.

"Severus-do you mind if I call you that?" He shrugged, but I took that as a yes. "Severus, do you want to sit with me while we read?"

His eyes pored into mine in that way that he does. "You would want to sit with me, an enemy of your House, and _friends_?" He sneered at the last part, but I let it go this time.

"Hey, I don't have anything against you, and all this House rivalry is really obnoxious to be honest. Just come sit with me." I smiled, and grabbed his arm, and dragged him to the nearest table. I noticed happily that he didn't put up a fight. As I plopped myself down into the chair, Severus slowly sat down stiffly, his posture straight and poised. He looked around him, even though we both knew the place was deserted. I sighed.

"No one's here, you know. Not that it should matter, but whatever…" I trailed off indignantly.

Suddenly, Severus' eyes filled with life, and he leaned forward towards me, his elbows on the table.

"This is dangerous, _you know._ We shouldn't be friends, or acquaintances, or _anything._ You should hate me, but for some reason you don't. I should hate you, but for some reason I can't. I feel drawn to you. I feel like… like you know something about me, and yet, you don't care. Like, you see goodness in me or something. And no one has ever looked at me that way. At least, not for a very long time." He drew in a deep breath.

I was shocked at this sudden information, and the way he just let it all out, in a breath, as if he were about to burst. Then, I spoke. "Severus, you know things don't have to be the way they are. I have no reason to hate you, and until you give me a reason, I won't. I just hope to god you don't give me a reason." I paused, and we looked at each other for a moment.

"You don't have to choose to be bad. In fact, I know _you_ are good. I see it in you. I just know. And I want you to know, I can help you." At this point, I was also leaning toward this odd boy, and my elbows were also propped up onto the table.

Severus looked at me with pleading in his eyes. "How?"

"Any way that I can. And if those wannabees bother you, I can take care of it." we both knew who I was referencing. I don't know why, but I felt a great sense of protection over this Slytherin boy, and the thought of him being used by the extreme bullies made my blood boil.

Severus scoffed, but there was hope in his eyes. Without the sneer, or the coldness in his eyes, his features were softened, and he looked almost handsome. Maybe after I protected him from the bad guys, I could give him a makeover. It had definite possibilities, but I shook the thought from my head for now and brought myself back to the conversation.

I continued. "But you have to help yourself, as well. If you can do that, then I can do the rest. I'll start with James and Sirius. They'll leave you alone, if they know what's good for them. I smiled at Severus then, and he smiled tentatively back.

Then he said, "Well, good luck with that. They've disliked me from the start, and I guess I just don't like how loved they are." He looked at me.

"They just need to be taken down a few pegs on the ego thing, but you have to know, they aren't malicious people. And neither are you, and we both know it." We looked at each other for a moment, before I continued.

"So we have to discuss how we are going to go about things. We sure as hell can't just say, 'hey everyone, Severus is one of us now!' and expect everyone to be okay with it. No, that would not work at all. Perhaps we should discuss this with Dumbledore… he could definitely think of some suggestions. But one thing is for sure. Your enemies can not know that you are against them, or they will… eliminate you."

And thus Severus Snape's spying career began.

The rest of the Christmas holidays went without incident. I loved the break from school, but I would be glad when everyone was back and classes resumed… All right, I'll admit, I'll be especially glad when Remus is back. I had missed my… friend.

The night before classes started up again, everyone arrived. The common room was very loud, but cheerful. Students scrambled this way and that. Of course, there were the few procrastinators in the corner trying to finish their homework before morning. I was happy I had decided to do mine the first day of the break.

Suddenly, I saw a blur of black hair shoot past me and onto Sirius' back. I guess this was James' way of saying hello to his friend after so long of not seeing him. Then, seeing Remus a few feet away, he started running again. Remus sensed the attack coming, and turned around just as James pounced. They both fell backwards onto the ground. Sirius, feeling left out, jumped on to the two boys. I just laughed.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small figure edging his way into the scene. It was Peter, and I felt a wave of guilt at not really taking the time to know him as well as the other Marauders. I stepped closer to him.

"Hey Peter, how was your break?" I asked quietly, smiling in a friendly way at him.

Peter looked at me, and then quickly looked back at his feet. "It was good, thanks," he said almost indecipherably.

I pressed on. "I noticed I haven't seen you around much, where've you been?" It was a normal question, but Peter took a moment to respond.

"I've been… busy," he said in an elusive tone.

For some reason, this sent off some bells. Here's this shy kid, who, quite frankly, doesn't really have many friends, and now he's telling me he's been busy with something other than the Marauders? Now, of course, I'm not saying it's not possible, it's just… something doesn't feel right about the way he said that. I stored the information away for later use.

Right now, though, I had to think about how I was going to propose the idea to Sirius and James about leaving Severus alone. Six years of habit is hard to just break, and I knew it was going to take a lot of convincing. Fortunately, I knew Remus would side with me, and his support on the matter would definitely help.

Once the boys stopped wrestling, I pulled Remus aside. I hadn't really had a chance to talk to him privately, or, really, at all, since he had returned. We went to a small nook that was unpopulated by other Gryffindors.

"What's up," he asked, smiling. His eyes were warm, and without a trace of worry in them.

"Well," I said drawing out the word. Then I just gave him a huge hug, like a cool kid. I laughed and said, "I've missed you, bud."

Remus' arms tightened around my waist, and laughed lightly in my ear.

"Missed you too, Juliet." He responded.

We stayed there for a moment, and then pulled away. If I had my choice I would've stayed like that forever. But, other matters to discuss. For now, that is.

"So, was there an actual reason you pulled me over here, or was it just to tackle me in a hug?" He smirked.

I shoved his arm lightly. "Yes, there was a reason, _actually_. It's about Severus Snape." Remus tensed up.

"What about him," he asked suspiciously. Ha! I knew that tone anywhere.

"Is that…. Jealousy I hear, Remus? Tsk, tsk." Remus' face turned a bright shade of pink, and I grinned. I knew it.

"Well, I'll forgive you for now, but moving on. So. Severus Snape. He's not a bad guy. Yes, he's made some mistakes, but he and I got to talking over break, and there's a lot people don't know about him."

I could tell Remus was about to argue, and I let him say what he wanted to so he could get it out of his system.

"Juliet, look. I know you want to believe he's okay, and so do I, believe me I do. But you didn't see last year, the whole fiasco with Lily-"

I held my hands up. "I know, I know. But I just have a feeling about this, really! I sincerely believe that we can help him, and he's ready to receive that help. It's just up to us now. Well, us, and Dumbledore," I added as an afterthought.

Remus still looked skeptical, but sighed. "I can tell this isn't something you're just going to forget. So… fine. I'll stick by you, and help you with Snape."

"_Severus_," I corrected. Remus raised his eyebrows, and I shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I just think it's creating unnecessary walls between people when you refer to them by their last name." Remus just looked at me incredulously for a moment, and then laughed.

"You really are something, _Bell_." He laughed at my glare, and flung his arm around my shoulders.

"C'mon," he continued, "Let's go join the others. But let's talk to James and Sirius about it tomorrow- they're too riled up right now."

I agreed, and we walked back towards where the others were.

My smile could not have been any wider as Remus kept his arm around my shoulder as we walked back.

And for now, that's all that mattered.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So, hey everyone! I'm sorry my updating has been so sporadic, my life has been crazy hectic! Reviews make me a happy person :) **

The next day I awoke with a groan. I was sore all over, and I had been haunted with nightmares throughout the night. However, when I tried to remember any of the terrors, I couldn't grasp what had happened in the dream. I stumbled out of bed and started to get ready for classes.

I had Transfiguration first, and it was pretty basic stuff. We were only taking notes, and I allowed myself to daydream. I thought of my friends back home, and my family. I worried about them often, but I knew they were safer without me threatening to expose them. I had recently learned that since my father was already being sought after by Voldemort, he and my mother saw no reason why he could not be a part of the wizarding world again. He had just accepted a job at the Ministry as some manager of something. I hadn't really focused on the part of the letter. Hey, that stuff bores me! I want an exciting job, without having to deal with paperwork and… well, boring stuff.

Suddenly, I felt Remus elbow me, and I was jolted out of my thoughts.

"Now that Miss Bell has decided to join the classroom again, would you like to answer the question?" Professor McGonagall's stern face looked down on me. My cheeks reddened,and I quickly asked her to repeat the question.

The rest of the day went similarly, as I could not for the life of me seem to focus. If I wasn't thinking about my parents, I was thinking about the Marauders and Severus, and my thoughts once even flicked to the night I was in Diagon Alley and met the man named Henry. I now knew that this man was a Death Eater, and I was slightly disappointed at the fact although I could not put my finger on the reason.

Later that night, the Marauders and I gathered in the Common Room. Oddly enough, Peter was not there. I didn't mind, as I knew the main problem was talking to Sirius and James. I made sure we were all settled into a little corner of the Common Room so that we would not be disturbed. Sirius and James kept jostling around and poking each other, and didn't stop until I threatened to separate them as if I were their mother. Finally, _finally,_ they calmed themselves.

"So, you both know Remus and I have brought you here to discuss a serious matter. One we believe in, and that we hope you will extend the courtesy as friends to hear us out completely before saying anything." I narrowed my eyes at the boys. They both nodded solemnly, until James caught Sirius' eye and they both grinned, and then started laughing. I rolled my eyes, and looked to Remus for help.

"Oi! We're being serious here, you know!" Remus said annoyed, and he flicked Sirius on the arm, which got a glare from Sirius. I sighed.

"You two aren't going to like this however I say it, so I'm going to just say what needs to be said. Severus Snape is to be no longer bullied by you two. He is on our side now, as," I lowered my voice, "a spy against Voldemort." All three of my friends winced. I kept going.

"To hurt him in any way- that means through words, physical force, or hexing- is to hurt your own side, which is really counter-productive. It is time to grow serious. People are dying, and we must bring an end to this, as you both know. Severus is really putting his life on the line by doing this, and we must treat him nicely. While you may not become the best of friends-"At this Sirius and James both snorted, and I glared at them again for silence. "While you may not become the best of friends," I repeated sternly, "I expect both parties to treat each other with the basic civility required by human beings."

James muttered, "Yes, Professor," and I just smirked. Hey, it was actual sort of true. I had just thought it myself. I sounded exactly like Professor McGonagall when she was disciplining the class after a transgression. Anyway, I was getting distracted. Back to the subject on hand.

"With that said, I'll also let you know that Remus, Severus, and I have already been to see Professor Dumbledore and that he has been making all the necessary arrangements. I am assuming that when we get out of school you two are going to help fight in the war?" The two nodded.

"Then you will need to get Occlumency lessons from Professor Dumbledore. Remus has already scheduled his sessions, and I suggest you two visit the Headmaster sometime soon." I stopped and drew a breath.

"Well, what about you?" Sirius asked demandingly. I looked at him in confusion. What was he talking about now?

"What do you mean?" I asked, tucking a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear.

"Aren't you going to be fighting after school?" Huh, I had thought, given my personality and my past, that sort of information would be pretty obvious. However, I decided to answer without sarcasm this time.

"Of course, I had thought that much would be clear," my tone puzzled.

"Then why haven't you scheduled Occlumency lessons like Remus has?" James continued Sirius's thought.

"Ohh, well that would be because-" Remus cut me off.

"Juliet's Occlumency was so good Dumbledore himself couldn't get in!" He bragged, and I blushed. While I had only been practicing for a short while, it had seemed to come easily to me, and I had grown quite skilled. Although I would never admit that out loud to anyone.

Later that night, when the Common Room was empty except for me and Remus, I decided to bring up the topic about Lily.

"I'm not sure if she'll be able to handle being around Severus when the time comes, but at least we can prepare her for it for the time being. I think she should also be taught Occlumency because we all know what with James deciding to fight, she will, too." I smirked at Remus' confusion.

"What do you mean? They've only had, what? Two dates? Three? Why would she decide to fight because of James?"

"Don't question these things, Remus. I have a feeling about those two, and it is only a matter of time before they officially get together already. I wish they'd hurry up, they're taking forever. Lily and her pride." I chuckled lightly. Remus looked away from the fireplace, and stared directly into my eyes. The light from the flames really brought the gold out in them, and I caught myself staring back.

"And what about us, Juliet?" The intensity of his gaze and question startled me, and my breathing faltered for a moment. Then I said, "I am not sure I follow what you mean…" I trailed off like the complete nerd that I am.

Turning his body to face me completely, he continued to look at me with that intense gaze, and I found it hard to organize my thoughts. Which, for me, is saying something. Slowly, he leaned in towards my face. I couldn't believe this was happening. Finally! It was happening so fast yet so excruciatingly slow at the same time. I made up my mind, and quickly leaned in the rest of the way, and my lips met his. I felt a shock run through my entire body, and knew that this was probably the happiest moments of my life. You know what, scratch that. It _is_ the happiest moment of my life up until now.

I love him. This thought startled me as it seemed to have come out of nowhere. It was also startling because I don't usually think or say that I love someone except for my family. It's part of the weird not-showing-emotions thing. Don't judge me, okay?

As we pulled away slowly and reluctantly, my eyes met his again. I smiled, and then laughed out loud just from sheer joy, and threw my arms around his neck.

"Took you long enough," I murmured, my face buried into the crook of his neck. He just gave a rumbling chuckle and his arms tightened around my waist. I could live in this moment forever, but of course, Fate was once more against me.

"HEY! What's going on here?" James. Why do you always have the worst timing possible? Remus and I groaned simultaneously. We both could hear another pair of footsteps trailing closely behind James, and Sirius made a theatrical gasp as he saw Remus and I. We finally pulled apart from our hug and turned to face the boys.

"What do you want?" I asked tiredly.

"Well," James drawled, "Padfoot and I were just going to get a little snack, and we were going to ask you two to join us, but if you have other plans…." He trailed off and grinned evilly.

"Actually we do!" I said indignantly, and Remus turned to me with his eyebrows raised. Swiftly, I grabbed Remus' face and kissed him again, deepening it more than our first kiss. Remus seemed shocked, James was sputtering, and Sirius gasped louder than before if that was even possible. I just laughed against Remus' lips, which were incredibly soft. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I pulled away and looked over to where Sirius and James had been standing. They were gone.

"That got rid of them," I said with a huge grin. Remus just laughed and shook his head at my antics.

"What am I going to do with you?" he asked, and I just raised my eyebrows with a smirk. He was going to have to get used to my randomness from now on.

"Well, you could start by giving me another kiss," I said sweetly, with all the innocence in my tone as I could muster. He just shook his head again, and said, "Your wish is my command, my lady."

I giggled. I actually giggled. Wait until Lily finds out.

**So! What do you think? I honestly must say towards the end I was grinning while writing. Is that odd? OH WELL I DON'T CARE MUAHAHA :D**


	16. Chapter 16

Lily screamed. And she screamed some more. Or was that laughter? If so, it was the scariest laugh I've ever heard in my entire life. She jumped up and down, and threw her arms around my neck, forcing me to jump with her, albeit reluctantly.

"I've known for _ages_, you know! Remus told me." She nodded at me, her strikingly green eyes wide. "He tells me things that he thinks he'll be made fun of by the other three," she said in mock disgust. "But- ahhhh! I never thought he'd make a move this fast! It's Remus after all! Yay! I am so so so so happy!"

I raised an eyebrow delicately. "Really? I couldn't tell." Lily snorted, ignoring my scathing tone.

"Oh, don't give me that, I know you're happy too. You've liked him since you two first met, I could just tell. I just _knew."_

Finally, I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Lily, you are the almighty Seer. Let us all bow down before your mightiness," I said in monotone, while preparing to bow. Her arm snatched out quickly to stop me from proceeding in my worship.

"Juliet, don't be melodramatic. This is a big installment! Life at Hogwarts," she sighed happily. I looked at my best friend, her eyes shining, and red hair tousled from jumping around. I decided I would let her have this one, and grinned.

"I suppose it is very good news. In fact, it doesn't get much better than this." Now it was my turn to sigh contentedly. Lily squealed, and I grimaced and tried to cover my ears a second too late.

"Ha! See, you are happy! Actually, you are more than happy. You are _ecstatic! Radiant! Your joy knows no limits!" _I sighed, this time in annoyance at her antics.

"That's one way of putting it, Lils."

The rest of the night was spent with me telling Lily _again_ exactly how it had all happened, and then we analyzed every word and gesture and facial expression. You know, just normal conversations between two girls.

While lying in my bed, staring up into the darkness, I felt a little guilty at not having talked to Lily about more pressing matters, such as Severus and fighting and Occlumency and all that jazz. Sure, I wanted to discuss me and Remus- I felt a thrill run through me at that- but I had also known subconsciously that I was using it as a way to avoid that particular conversation.

I would save it until after lessons tomorrow. But then, my mind reasoned, I wouldn't want her to be distracted for the rest of the week, so maybe I should tell her this weekend. I mentally groaned. No, I would have to tell her sooner than that, she was my best friend! I sighed; it wasn't going to be easy.

I rolled over onto my side and decided to think about it more in the morning. I would definitely get Remus to help, like he had done with James and Sirius. We would also need to talk to Peter, as he had been absent tonight. I frowned, thinking of his strange behavior these past couple days. He wasn't around as much and when he was he was very distracted. I wondered what that was all about.

The next morning I was glad to see that I had a free period first thing, so I decided to go the library. As soon as I settled into my book, I was interrupted by a frantic looking Severus. I looked at his disheveled state in concern. What had happened?

"Have you told Pettigrew anything about me?" he asked with fervor, shaking my shoulders. Woah, something really had him riled up. I shook my head numbly. I wasn't used to Severus showing so much emotion, especially fear like this. Something _had _to have happened.

"No, but what happened, Severus? Tell me!" I demanded. I knew I was being impatient, and he was catching his breath, but I wanted to know _now._ I hated being in the dark.

He breathed deeply again, removing his hands from my shoulders and sitting across from me. "Good, because you cannot say anything to the traitor." I gasped. What was he going on about? Peter wasn't a traitor!

"Severus," I said sharply. "Be careful of what you say." He nodded soberly.

"I've never been so careful. I was walking down the hall when I noticed Pettigrew was inside a classroom with someone. I couldn't tell who it was, but me being me, I was curious. I Disillusioned myself and snuck into the room just as they were finishing up the conversation. And- it was Mulciber, one of the future Death Eaters! He's practically secured his spot in the Dark Lord's ranks, and Peter and he seemed to be agreeing on some arrangement. Pettigrew looked as though Christmas had come early, though not in a good way. I've never seen such a malicious look on his face." Severus shook his head.

"And here's the killer part. After they made whatever deal it was, they shook hands, and both walked out grinning." My grey eyes had no doubt darkened in anger, and Severus shrunk back at the look on my face.

"Juliet, let's not rush into anything. I just know what I saw. Let's not jump to conclusions." He warned me slowly. I nodded. Oh, yes. I knew not to jump to conclusions. But that didn't mean I wasn't going to do something about this information. I would find out the answers I needed. Then I could decide what I was going to do with Peter.

Severus eyes me warily. "What are you thinking, Juliet? I don't like that look on your face." I smiled sweetly at my new friend.

"Oh, Severus, be a pal and help me brew something?"

Severus sighed.

My next class I had was with Peter, Lily, and Remus. I sat with Remus while ignoring Lily's not-so-subtle smirks in our general direction. I glared at the back of Peter's head, who was sitting in front of me. What are you hiding? I wondered furiously.

Remus held my hand underneath the desk, and although it brought me comfort, I still couldn't help being tense. He noticed, and rubbed comforting circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. He looked at me with concern in his eyes, and I mouthed, "Later." He nodded, and we turned our attention to the front of the room, where the DADA professor was lecturing on the Unforgivable Curses.

Finally-finally!- classes were over for the day. I dragged Remus with me to an empty classroom, and said, "You are not going to believe this!" I was angry, and I felt my magic humming around me, itching to be used on the source of my anger. I tried to reel it in, knowing that I had a bad habit of acting first and thinking later. It could be useful, but sometimes it just caused a lot of damage.

"Okay, Juliet, you've been bristling with anger all day- what is bothering you?" Remus asked. I stood a few feet away from him, my arms folded across my chest. "Peter is a traitor! We think," I added reluctantly.

"What?" Remus yelped, before shaking his head. "No, that's not possible. It's _Peter_ we're talking about here, right?" I sighed.

"That was exactly my reaction, and because I don't have enough evidence, Severus and I are working on a plan to get the information I need. But here's what I do know." I recounted this morning's events, and afterwards, Remus looked dazed.

"No, that couldn't be. Peter wouldn't go Dark. Not over us. We're his best friends!" Remus looked very sad in that moment and like he needed a hug. I provided just that, and he hugged me back fiercely.

"I know, love, but we can't ignore the evidence just because he's our friend. That's why we'll find out the information we need, and go from there." I looked up at Remus, who was staring off past my shoulder, seemingly in deep thought. I placed a light kiss against his jaw. And another. Finally, I got his attention, and he smiled down at me.

He removed his hands from around my waist and cupped my cheeks gently. "You mean so much to me, Juliet. You know that, don't you? Even if it seems foolish, and we've been together for such a short time-" He babbled on and I just smiled. I shushed him by giving him another kiss, this time directly on his lips.

"Shhh," I whispered against the softest lips in the world. What? They were, okay! He just grinned slightly against my own lips, and we kissed again, deeper, harder. It was almost as if we poured all our fear into that kiss- our fear of the war, and the growing number of disappearances, and how close it was getting to us. In short, in that kiss, we knew all we had was each other.

After a moment, we pulled apart, and I sighed. "I guess now is the time we talk to Lily." Remus sighed as well, and as I pulled away, his strong hands grabbed me and pulled me back against his chest. "Just another moment more," he murmured. I laughed.

Now normally, this kind of sappy stuff would be having me throwing up, but with Remus- I dunno. It's different. I felt like with Remus I could tell him anything, and he wouldn't judge me. I trusted him completely. With Remus, I felt _whole._

Once we finally made it back to the common room, after a bit more of kissing- I smirked at this-, we found Lily reading in one of the armchairs, her beautiful red hair falling slightly into her face. I smiled at my best friend. She was lucky to have James, even if she didn't realize it yet, and he was lucky to have her, which he definitely realized. Remus and I plopped down on the couch next to her, and she looked up, rolling her eyes at our intertwined hands.

"And where have you two love birds been?" she asked nonchalantly. I glanced at Remus, who had a bit of a pink tinge to his cheeks. I smirked. "Yes, where _have _we been, Remus?"

"Juliet!" he protested, and Lily smirked right along with me.

"Okay, you two girls have had your fun, now we have to talk seriously. Lily, Juliet and I have something important to talk to you about." I looked at Lily, who didn't know if we were being serious or not. She decided we weren't.

"Yes, of course I will be the Maid of Honor," she said, rolling her eyes again. "I find it insulting that you even have to ask." I roared with laughter, and even Remus grinned a bit.

"Lily! We're being serious here."I said, ignoring her muttered, "So was I."

"Okay, well, I know this is going to hurt you so I'm just going to say it." I said, heaving a sigh. Lily's strikingly green eyes were wide as she realized I was actually being serious, which was not an often occurrence.

"I know you have a past with Severus Snape, but I thought you should know that, even though it is too late for him to turn back on becoming a Death Eater, he has decided to play the very valuable role of spy for the Order of the Phoenix once we leave school." Lily had frozen at the mention of her former best friend, but said nothing.

"He, along with James, Sirius, and Remus are going to be receiving Occlumency lessons from Professor Dumbledore, and I advise you to do so as well. You are planning on fighting after school, right?" Her eyes flicked over to James, who was sitting at the table, playing Exploding Snaps with Peter. He looked up at that exact moment and blew a kiss at her, and she blushed.

"Yes, of course," she breathed. She leaned forward in her seat, clutching the sides of the armchair. She was listening very closely to my every word.

"I would advise you not to mention anything to Peter," Remus interjected. Lily frowned and was about to say something but Remus beat her to it. "We were hoping to speak to him in private." Lily nodded, accepting this. It was a little white lie, but it was necessary and I was glad for Remus' quick thinking. I knew he would mention something similar to James and Sirius tonight as well.

"We can go see Dumbledore tomorrow after classes, if you'd like." I offered. "And then we can set up a time he can teach you. He might want me to help too; after all, he's quite busy with the war and all." Lily nodded seriously. We didn't usually talk about the things going on outside of Hogwarts, as it seemed just too far away from us, but when we did, we did so very somberly. It was not something to be joked about.

Lily looked down at the book in her hands, and if I hadn't had my werewolf senses, I wouldn't have caught sight of the little tear trickling down her cheek, which she quickly hid from us with her hair. I looked at Remus quizzically, and he shrugged.

Lily stood, and mumbled something about getting another book from the dorm room. She all but ran to the stairs and disappeared. I frowned, gave Remus a look, and went after my friend. I entered the dorm cautiously.

"Lily? Lovely Lily?" I called. It was a bit of a joke between us. I always called her that now that I had once heard Professor Slughorn call her that in class. She swore she hated it, but I think she secretly liked it, and besides, I just liked to tease too much to not take that opportunity.

I heard muffled sniffling coming from her bed, and I walked over without trepidation. I flopped myself on the end of the bed, where Lily was lying face down, her head buried in her pillow. I sighed.

"Lily, what's wrong?" I asked. She shook her head and said nothing. "C'mon, Lils, you can tell me." I had a feeling I knew what it was going to be.

She looked up at me, her eyes red which made the green pop even more. "Oh, Juliet, I feel like I'm being selfish for being upset over this, of all things, when there are much worse things going on outside, but I can't help it. I'm still just really sad about Severus, is all. And I have forgiven him, but it's not the same. It's just too difficult now. And that's what hurts. My first friend from the Wizarding World is not even the same person I knew! Plus, with James in the picture now, I just don't see a friendship working, and that makes me _sad." _A few more tears streamed down Lily's face, and I grimaced. I hated seeing my friend's in pain.

"So, you're really serious about James then?" I asked. I was curious, as she had avoided the subject mostly up until now. She nodded. "I think it's too early to tell, but I really do like him. He's changed a lot since last year, which, I know, sounds unbelievable, but it's true. He's a really great guy."

I beamed. "He is, and I'm really happy for you, Lily. You won't even see Severus that much, so I don't think you have to worry about it. Let's just focus on the Occlumency for now." Lily nodded, wiping the last of the tears away.

"Thank you for being such a good friend, Juliet." She said, sitting up. I smiled.

"I do my best." I said wryly. She just laughed and grabbed me in a hug. I had Lily, and my friends. I had Remus.

Everything was going to be okay in the world.


End file.
